The Climb
by MadeForTrapping
Summary: Merlin and Arthur return to Camelot after being at the Festival of Innocence in Ealdor. A great darkness is coming to Camelot, but will their relationship be able to survive and for destiny to be fulfilled? Part 2 of the Forever Yours series!
1. Seeking Uther's Approval

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

If your reviews for Glitter in the Air were any indication, you were all hoping that there would be a sequel! Well, start celebrating my adoring fans, because here is the first chapter for The Climb, the sequel to Glitter. Just like Glitter in the Air, this story will be based on the song lyrics from my chosen song, which in this case is The Climb by Miley Cyrus.

A huge thank you to Cori (aka Riventhorn) who has been my beta for this chapter! She has been absolutely fabulous and well, without her, you would all have a whole load of rambling thoughts rather than an actual story!

This story DOES contain slash, so please don't read if this makes you uncomfortable!

As always, please spend a few minutes to review at the end! It'll be interesting to see what you all think will happen! So enjoy the story and get ready for a rollercoaster!

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**SEEKING UTHER'S APPROVAL**

For the best part of two hours, Arthur and Merlin rode side by side in comfortable silence. The sun had begun its climb in the sky and by mid-morning, Merlin spotted a stream under large oak trees. He took the lead and trotted Blazer to the water, dismounted and twiddled the reins so that Blazer could drink and eat. Turning around at the sound of a thud, Merlin smiled over at Arthur who was taking his pack off Midnight to let the horse wander freely. Arthur walked over to an oak tree and began to rummage through the pack. Stretching languidly, Merlin walked over to where his partner was and placed his hands over Arthur's eyes, at which Arthur took hold of the hands and pulled Merlin around for a chaste kiss. With a smile on his lips, Merlin sat down on the grass with the oak trunk behind his back so that he could look at Arthur.

"Your mother packed some of the leftover bread and cheese," Arthur stated and continued to rummage for a moment while Merlin poked him with his foot. Arthur stopped and looked up at Merlin. "What?"

"We need to talk about your father," Merlin told him and noticed Arthur roll his eyes. "It's all right for you. The most he'll do to you is to make you clean out the stable. For me? He'll make the stocks a permanent fixture in my life if he finds out that I'm the object of your affection."

Arthur didn't reply, turning away to continue searching through the pack. Merlin started to speak, but then Arthur pulled out a small bundle and tossed it to him. As Merlin unwrapped it, he opened his mouth again to talk, but Arthur interrupted him.

"I told you in Ealdor that I wouldn't let my father do anything to you," Arthur began, and his blue eyes sought Merlin's. "And I mean to keep my word. When we get back, he'll expect a debriefing of what happened in Ealdor, and I'll tell him the truth. I'll also tell him about us, and he will just have to accept it."

"But he's the king, Arthur. He doesn't have to do anything," Merlin countered and handed Arthur a chunk of bread and cheese. Merlin bit into the bread and felt Arthur sit beside him as he continued. "I don't think we should tell him so abruptly. And you _certainly _shouldn't tell him what the festival is about, either.. We... I mean you, should tell him gradually and bit by bit, so that if he plans on killing me, I've got a few days head start."

Arthur chuckled and ruffled Merlin's hair with his hand. "My father will not kill you for simply being my partner."

Merlin squirmed away and poked his tongue out at Arthur. "The reason we have that gathering in Ealdor is because although same-sex relationships are known and grudgingly accepted, they're not something most people want to see take place in the open. It would be bad enough if I was to fall in love with a noble, but you're the prince, Arthur. Your father has always wanted you to marry and have children to continue the Pendragon bloodline..."

"So that's why you think my father will despise you?" Arthur asked, and Merlin made sure his face reflected the concern that he felt. Arthur twisted himself around to look at Merlin directly. "Of course my father has always believed that I'll fall in love with a queen or princess, and have lots of children so that I have an heir. But I know him, Merlin. He'll disagree at first, even put us both in the stocks for good measure, but he'll understand that I'll never take anyone to my bed who isn't you."

Merlin leaned in close to Arthur, hand finding Arthur's in the process. "So you'll never..." Merlin leant in closer, his breath mingling with Arthur's. "Ever..." Their noses touched and Merlin slid his hand to cup Arthur's cheek. "Take another person to your bed?"

"Never."

Their lips joined, and Arthur moved to straddle Merlin for the second time that day. Merlin pushed him backwards, and Arthur couldn't help but let out a growl of annoyance. He pulled away from Merlin and looked at him pointedly.

"Why did you stop? I know you were up for it," Arthur stated as he looked down at the tented breeches that Merlin was now trying to rearrange.

"It's not that I'm not aroused with you just being near me," Merlin began. "It's just that, well, I'm sort of, you know, sore? So until tonight, do you think that maybe we could, you know, not?"

Merlin waited as Arthur processed the information and wondered if he had done the right thing, pushing Arthur away like that.

"Why didn't you tell me that I'd hurt you?"

"Oh, Arthur. It wasn't you, exactly. I mean, you're the first guy to have ever... and well, it's natural to be sore for a little while," Merlin reassured him. Arthur looked at him doubtfully. Merlin shimmied closer to Arthur and rubbed the inside of his thigh before adding, "It's not your fault you're extremely well...developed, down there. I mean, you left me feeling incredibly filled last night and this morning."

Arthur chuckled and tilted his head down, blonde hair hanging down to cover the top of his face. "So you'll be all right?"

"As long as I can keep your hands off me."

Merlin leaned over and quickly ruffled Arthur's hair, to which Arthur laughed and tried to grab hold of him. Merlin swatted the hand away and picked up his cheese and bread again before packing them away. Arthur took a big bite from each and handed them back to Merlin, who was silently hoping that Arthur had been reassured. Merlin watched as Arthur walked over to Midnight and Blazer, wishing that the two of them could just stay there without having to go back to Camelot. _Maybe we could come back here for a day trip or something? When we get some time to ourselves?_

"Come on, you. It's another three hours ride to Camelot, and I want to get there within two. That way, father will be sitting down for a late afternoon meal, and he'll be more amenable with a full stomach," Arthur called over, and Merlin stood up with a frown. "What is it? Is the horse riding making you feel worse?"

"It's not that. You need to let me decide when we tell your father, Arthur. I really don't want to be in the stocks tonight," Merlin informed him, and Arthur nodded, apparently agreeing with the statement. "I mean it. We'll tell him together once we've worked it all out."

"Fine. Now will you please get on Blazer before he decides to eat the rest of the forest?"

Merlin smirked and quickly mounted Blazer before making sure the pack was securely attached to the saddle. Arthur had already started trotting ahead, and Merlin kicked Blazer into a trot. As Merlin neared Arthur, he felt a curious surge in his magic, and for a moment, Merlin saw a hazy white light surround Arthur. A frown crept across Merlin's face as an electric blue light seemed to come from Merlin's chest and weave itself to join with the white aura. Merlin blinked and both auras were gone, vanished, as though they had never been there. _What was that?_ Shaking his head, Merlin brought Blazer to a gentle trot and rode beside Arthur.

After an hour or so, Merlin saw glimpses of the white marbled turrets of Camelot, and he could see Arthur urging Midnight on, obviously eager to get home. He couldn't blame Arthur — he was just as eager to see Gaius as Arthur was to see his father. _Uther. I really have no idea how we're going to be able to tell him without me being in the stocks, dungeon, or both._ But there was no reason to dwell on the matter, because Arthur had agreed to tell Uther only when they were both ready to do so.

As they meandered through the forest along the trail, a few wagons loaded with items trundled down slowly from Camelot. The occupants all bowed and spluttered out greetings to the prince, and Merlin watched as Arthur wooed his subjects with that radiant smile and good looks. Some of the men in the wagons gave Arthur a lecherous look and when Merlin was sure that no one was watching, flicked his fingers with a flaring of golden eyes. The men would suddenly get a muscle cramp in their lower leg, and although Merlin berated himself after, he couldn't have stopped those moments even if he tried. It was like something deep within him was intent on making sure that everyone around them knew that Arthur was his, and that under no circumstance would some other man come to claim the prince's heart. _I wonder if this has anything to do with those aura things I saw?_

"It's Prince Arthur! Alert the king of his return!"

Merlin looked around him and saw that they had reached the very base of the towering wall that surrounded the whole of archers, standing on the battlements, relayed the message the entire length of the wall. Merlin noticed Arthur flash him a bright smile, and Merlin suddenly felt ill at ease. _He's up to something,_ Merlin thought and just as he was about to question Arthur, his eyes caught movement up by the draw bridge. Stable hands were there, ready and waiting, along with Gaius and some of Arthur's knights. _Quite a homecoming. _Arthur dismounted from Midnight once they reached the drawbridge and quickly handed the reins to one of the stable hands. Merlin was about to swing his leg and dismount as gracefully as he could before his heart stopped in his mouth. Arthur had come around and had slipped his hands up to steady him in the dismount, Merlin in complete shock and unable to find the words to tell Arthur to stop. As he slid down, Arthur's hands slid up the length of his body, and he gave Merlin a flirtatious wink before turning around and walking off towards the castle.

Merlin quickly regained his senses and jogged after Arthur, who had stopped in the middle of the main square. When he reached the other man, he noticed what had caught Arthur's attention and was filled with a mixture of repulsion and satisfaction at the sight of Owen still in the stocks. The fiery red headed man was covered in putrid tomato juices, and rotting pieces of cabbage hung from various parts of his body. The green eyes that stared out at the crowd focused in on Merlin and Arthur, narrowing with hatred. As though sensing it, Merlin watched Arthur straighten his back and glare right back. For a few moments, the glaring match looked as though it was going to carry on indefinitely, but then Owen looked away. Arthur continued to glare at him, and Merlin wondered why Arthur was still staring until he turned and walked towards the steps leading into the castle. Merlin followed and soon caught Arthur up at the main staircase. For a moment, Arthur took hold of Merlin's hand and squeezed it before walking up the stairs towards the great hall. _He's probably nervous about keeping a secret from his father, especially if __I'm__ that secret._

Merlin quickly followed suit and in a matter of minutes, they were standing inside the great hall.

*****

Arthur smiled warmly at his father as he walked further into the hall, which had new drapes hanging from the ceiling and new candles in the candelabras. Gaius was sitting with the king at the long table which was filled with food, still steaming hot. Arthur bowed his head to Uther first, who returned it with a smile, and then to Gaius, who nodded but looked towards Merlin. With a glance over his shoulder, Arthur smiled at his significant other which caused Merlin to beam back his own bright smile. _Let's see what happens when I... _Arthur walked to Merlin and guided him to the chair beside Gaius's, pushing it into the back of his legs like he would for a lady or queen. Merlin fell into the chair with a start and flashed a look at Arthur, and for a moment, Arthur had to do a double take because he could have sworn that Merlin's eyes had been golden orbs just then. Yet there Merlin was, with an annoyed look on his face and stormy blue eyes. _I must be seeing things, _Arthur thought as he walked to his own chair by his father's side. He didn't miss the questioning look that his father gave to him.

"What did you discover, Arthur?" Uther asked and Arthur took two plates, one for himself and Merlin, and filled them with food.

"The gathering that had been troubling you, father, was nothing more than a meeting for people with similar interests and tastes," Arthur began and handed a plate to Merlin, who was going bright red in the face as he took the food from Arthur. Uther looked from Arthur to Merlin, and then back to Arthur. "It won't have any ill effects for Camelot."

"What exactly did you see and discover, Arthur?" Uther asked again ,and Arthur fidgeted slightly at the demand for more precise details.

"The gathering is actually a festival, which the locals call the Festival of Innocence. It's a time for young people to search for — and perhaps discover — love. Completely harmless," Arthur clarified and Uther nodded slowly, considering. Arthur chewed a mouthful of food, swallowed, and then continued. "Whilst I was there, I saw nothing that poses a threat to Camelot, father. It was just a time when our loyal subjects could be happy."

Arthur looked across the table at Merlin, who was still sitting in stunned silence with the food untouched in front of him. Gaius looked at his young charge and then back at the prince. _Why do I get the feeling that they know about Merlin and I already? _Arthur pondered before hearing his inner voice screech, _Because you took Merlin, your servant as far as they know, to the table and then gave him food from the table that your father is eating off of!_

"You're sure?"

"Yes, father," Arthur tried his best not to sound exasperated at Uther's attempt to make sure that Arthur was being truthful, but a look of annoyance flickered over his face before he quickly relaxed. Uther, however, had noticed the annoyed look.

"I'm sorry if it sounds as though I doubt you, Arthur. A king needs to know that his kingdom and subjects are safe from any and all threats," Uther chided, and Arthur slumped a little in his seat, his appetite for the food suddenly disappearing. Uther sighed and leant towards him. "Arthur, you will be king one day, and I need to make sure that you will be ready for that time. So forgive me if I sound patronising, but well, I'm your father and king, and at times I get the balance wrong. Tell me, what did the people do at this festival?"

Arthur looked at his father and saw the sincerity there in the older man's eyes. _Maybe he'll be fine with Merlin being my partner, if he's in this sort of mood?_

"Well, during the day, there were games and food, with plenty of wine and ale. In the evening, the couples went off with alone and had some highly intimate enjoyment. I made some new friends whilst I was there, and I found love," Arthur answered and watched Uther's eyebrows rise at the last statement. Arthur risked a quick glance over at Merlin who was trying his best to shake his head without drawing any attention to himself.

"You found love, sire?" Gaius asked as Uther leant back, his hands pressed together under his chin. His father's expression was unreadable, but at least that was better than a look of anger. Wasn't it?

"Yes, Gaius. I did," Arthur announced, and he watched Merlin shrink in his chair, but not without shooting a warning glare at Arthur, who was unknowingly digging his own grave.

Arthur stood up from his place and pushed his chair in, eyes never leaving Merlin's as he made a rash decision. _I know I said that I wouldn't, but well, I have to tell him tonight otherwise I never will._ Arthur walked around the table and stood behind Merlin's chair, his hands gripping the top of the chair. With a deep breath, Arthur looked at Gaius and then at Uther, who hadn't moved an inch in his chair at the head of the table.

"Father. I'm in love with a man, and I love him with all my being. I'm in love with Merlin."

A sharp intake of breath could be heard, and Merlin sat bolt upright in his chair, slender hands gripping the arms so tightly that Arthur saw the skin turn white. He rested his hands on Merlin's shoulders and kept his eyes on his father. Without a word, Uther stood up and walked from the great hall. Gaius quickly followed, leaving Arthur and Merlin in the hall.

"Well, at least you're not in the stocks."

With an exasperated sigh and sharp smack on the arm, Merlin stalked off, leaving Arthur in the hall on his own. Picking up an apple from the table, Arthur bit into it.

"Could have been worse."

With that, Arthur walked off in search of Merlin.

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**Please read and review!**

**x o x o**


	2. Am I Good Enough?

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Hi everyone! Here's Chapter 2 for The Climb! Huge thanks and love to Cori who was an even bigger help for this chapter more than normal! So you all make sure you share the love with her! The lyrics come from Miley Cyrus's song, The Climb, so give it a listen to get a feel for the rest of the story!

Once again, this is a SLASH story, so please, stop now if this doesn't appeal to you!

Enough ramblings, here's the story! Read and review people, read and review!

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**AM I GOOD ENOUGH?**

As Merlin walked hurriedly through the corridors, cheeks bright red in embarrassment, he replayed the last few moments in his head. He had seen Arthur get up and come around to his chair, right beside Gaius and right in front of Uther, and announce their relationship for everyone to hear. _Idiot! You should have realised that Arthur was up to something!_ Anger and annoyance bubbled up inside Merlin, and as he neared his living quarters with Gaius, Merlin wished that he could teach Arthur a lesson by turning him into a hideous monster every time he broke his word. Yet there was a tinge of worry clouding Merlin's anger because Uther had simply stood up and walked out of the great hall without a word. _I wish I'd been thrown in the stocks, _Merlin grouched as he walked through the door. _At least I would have known what Uther thought._ Gaius had only just got in himself and looked up at Merlin, but before he could open his mouth to utter a word Merlin had walked right by him, straight to his room, and slammed his door shut.

Once inside, Merlin closed the shutters to his window and flopped face down onto his bed. His hands were curled into tight fists at either side of his head, and he finally sat up and thumped his fist into the pillow. _I can't believe it,_ Merlin thought as his thumping slowed and tears rimmed his eyes. _Why couldn't he have waited, like I asked him?_ He took hold of the pillow and in the dark of his room, hugged it to him. Merlin turned his head to the side when he heard his door latch lift open, and his blood returned to boiling point as Arthur walked in hesitantly. Merlin stood up and approached him..

"You have five seconds to get out of my room, Arthur," Merlin stated and jabbed his finger into Arthur's well muscled forearm. "One..."

"I had to tell him, Merlin. He's my father."

"Two..." Merlin jabbed Arthur again in the arm.

"All right, I didn't have to tell him, but I thought it was better for him to find out now than later."

"Three..." When Merlin tried to jab again, Arthur caught the hand and pulled Merlin to him. Merlin cursed as his body responded to Arthur's touch, causing the blonde to smile gently as he rested his forehead against Merlin's.

"I wanted him to know that I was happy and unashamed of my lover, Merlin. I wanted to show you that I was completely prepared to announce it to one and all."

"Four..." By this time, Merlin was finding it hard to remember why he was angry at Arthur exactly, because when the young prince explained his reasoning like that, why should Merlin be angry?

"But most of all, I wanted to be able to say and do things for you which show that I love you without having to worry about concealing them from my father. No secrets."

"Five..." Arthur tilted his head up and placed his lips lightly on to Merlin's before pulling away. The slightly shorter man pushed Merlin away and just looked at him. _He's waiting for me to decide what to do next._

"I'm still annoyed, Arthur, because you said that you wouldn't tell your father until we'd talked about it," Merlin told him quietly, his eyes searching Arthur's for some sort of understanding.

"I know I should have, but well, you should know by now I'm impulsive and tend to do what I want," Arthur agreed and flashed Merlin a cheeky smile as he added, "And now I get to do who I want when I want."

Merlin couldn't help but smirk at that, but the matter still remained that Uther hadn't given any indication as to what he thought of this pairing between his prized son and his manservant. Almost sensing Merlin's sudden unease, Arthur walked over to him and pulled him into a tight embrace, which Merlin eagerly returned. Unbeknownst to them, Uther was standing in the main chamber watching them quietly through the door that Arthur had left open. After a few moments, and with a brief nod to Gaius, Uther left.

*****

Merlin was running through the stony corridors as fast as his legs could carry him. After Arthur had left his room and retired for the evening, Merlin had done the same and had settled down with his magic book to look for any information about the auras he had seen earlier. Merlin hadn't realised that he had gone to sleep until Gaius had come in that morning with a message for him from Uther. As soon as the king's name had fallen from Gaius's lips, Merlin had sat bolt upright and the hazy fog of sleep had quickly lifted as he took hold of the note and broke the seal to it. He had read it once, then again, before jumping out of his bed and hurriedly tried to get himself washed and dressed. Gaius had tried to get Merlin to tell him why he was rushing around like a griffin with a toothache, and Merlin had handed the note to Gaius as he brushed his teeth. Before Gaius could comment on the note, Merlin had dashed out the door.

_I can't believe that Uther's summoned me!_ Merlin was full of fear, apprehension and dread as he raced down the corridors, almost colliding several times with other servants. He erupted from the main entrance to the castle and barrelled down the steps, almost tripping up over his own feet in his haste. _Slow down! If you rush any more, that wash you had will be unnoticeable! _Forcing himself to slow down, Merlin walked at a fast pace across the main courtyard and briefly looked over at Owen who was only now being let out of the stocks. Merlin slowed considerably as the guards shackled the red headed man and dragged him off, but not before he had shot Merlin a murderous look that sent chills up Merlin's spine. Shaking his head, Merlin continued to walk down the main path out of Camelot and then across the wooden drawbridge, edging ever closer to his meeting with Uther.

Once outside the outer wall, Merlin turned to the left and followed a trail down into a small meadow. Looking up, Merlin could make out the archers in their towers and a watchman standing in the middle of the wall section. Returning his attention to the task at hand, Merlin noticed that some of the knights that Arthur thought highly of were standing at the bottom of the path. One of them was Sir Galahad, and as Merlin approached, the older man stepped forward with an outstretched hand. The two of them shook hands briefly as the other knights began to fan out in a circular shape, melting in to the surrounding bushes and trees seamlessly. Merlin frowned and looked at Galahad.

"What are they doing?" Merlin asked.

"His Majesty is by the stream, and he has told us not to come within ear shot of him. I am to lead you to him and then take up my position until the king wishes to return to the castle," Galahad answered.

Sir Galahad turned and walked down the path, and Merlin followed. With each step that Merlin took, the more his feet felt weighed down with dread and fear. Although Merlin knew that there had to be birds singing and the sound of the stream gurgling, at that moment, as he was led further down the path, he heard nothing but the sound of his racing heart. His palms began to feel clammy as he balled them into fists and then opened them, and then he saw Uther, leaning against a large oak tree right beside the stream. Merlin's heart stopped in his throat at the sight of Uther's long sword, flush against black breeches in a jewel embedded leather scabbard.

"Your Majesty," Galahad greeted and bowed as Uther turned to regard them, "Merlin is here, as requested."

"Thank you, Sir Galahad. That will be all."

With a final bow, Sir Galahad turned, offered a sympathetic look to Merlin and walked off. Now, Merlin and Uther looked at each other across the space and Merlin suddenly found himself wishing that he hadn't woken up that morning.

*****

_I can almost see it_

_That dream I'm dreaming_

Uther looked across the distance and Merlin wondered what the king was thinking. _Why isn't he saying anything?_ The silence was uncomfortable for Merlin and just when he thought about making the first move in speaking, Uther gestured for Merlin to come forward. Swallowing hard, Merlin walked towards Uther and stopped when he noticed a blanket that had been obscured from his view because of the tall grass. Uther pushed himself off of the tree and sat down on the blanket, which had a few small bowls of food on as well as two goblets and a bottle of wine. Unsure of what he was expected to do, Merlin stood at the edge of the blanket and tried his hardest not to fidget.

"You had better sit down, Merlin," Uther said and picked up the bottle of wine and poured a measure into both glasses. "It appears we need to have a talk."

Merlin quickly sat down at the edge of the blanket and pulled his legs right under him, sitting cross legged and tense. Uther appeared relaxed, calm.

"When you were a boy, Merlin, what did you dream?"

"Sire?"

"What did you dream your life would be like when you were a boy?"

Merlin could feel Uther watching him intently, waiting for an answer, and Merlin took a few moments to think carefully before supplying an answer.

"I dreamt that one day I would meet a beautiful woman, sire, who I could settle down with in Ealdor and have two or three children. I always wanted at least a boy and a girl, and they would be the spitting image of their mother. I dreamt that our house would be surrounded by trees with a stream in back. We'd be together until we were old and our children would look after us because we had raised them to be good people."

"That sounds like a wonderful dream to have," Uther commented and took another sip of his wine, "But how can you fulfil that dream whilst being with my son?"

Merlin was flabbergasted. That was one question he hadn't expected and it had caught him off guard and it showed. His mouth was slightly open, and Merlin could feel a sort of wide eyed look on his face as Uther picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth. _How can he be so __relaxed?!_ Swallowing and looking down at his hands, Merlin answered.

"I can't have that dream whilst I'm with Arthur, sire. But childhood dreams change, and when I found out that I was coming to Camelot to live with Gaius, I had a different dream. I dreamt that — that I would find love here." Merlin took a deep breath. "And I have. With Arthur."

Uther cleaned his fingers on a napkin. "Arthur claims he has found love with you as well." Uther shook his head. "I remember my own impetuous youth — the loves I entertained and then forgot." He glanced at Merlin. "Arthur, however, claims he will leave Camelot with you if I try to prevent him from seeing you."

"He — he said that?" Merlin replied nervously.

"Yes, he did," Uther answered grimly. "So the question remains, what will I do about the two of you?"

_But there's a voice inside my head saying_

"_You'll never reach it"_

Merlin held his breath. Uther hadn't run him through with the sword yet — that had to be a good sign. _But now he's going to decide what to do with you,_ an inner voice said. _Please, let it be the dungeons. At least it'll be cooler there than in the stocks in the midday sun._

"I know you have great affections for my son, and I appreciate the loyalty you have shown him," Uther began and pushed himself up into a sitting position, causing Merlin to tense. "But the fact remains that you are a servant, and Arthur is the prince."

"I know," Merlin whispered.

"However," Uther continued, "last night Arthur said that no matter what I did or said, he would do whatever he could to keep you."

Merlin couldn't help feeling a rush of warmth at that, knowing that Arthur was willing to defy his father for him.

"Arthur is stubborn. I have no doubt that he would do something rash if I tried to take you away from him." Uther fixed Merlin with a steady gaze. "Therefore, I am willing to allow this — infatuation of his to continue for the moment."

Merlin bit back the protest that rose to his lips. That it wasn't an _infatuation_. That Arthur would always love him.

"I expect you to behave discreetly." Uther took a sip of his wine. "Give Arthur what he wants. If I find that you have used your position to try and coax gifts or promises from him — or to betray him to our enemies — I'm afraid Arthur will discover that you have run away from Camelot. And you will never be seen or heard from again."

"I — I would never betray Arthur," Merlin managed, shivering.

"I hope not." Uther pushed the wine goblet closer to Merlin. "Now, before we return to Camelot, I want to finish this lovely food while you tell me everything about the festival yesterday. Spare no details."

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**Please read, review, and recommend to friends!**

**x o x o **


	3. New Living Arrangements

**A/N:**

A huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far! Thanks also to Cori, who is a huge help at making sure my ramblings make sense! This chapter has slash references, so please, vacate the page if you're not keen!

Read and review my lovely people!

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**NEW LIVING ARRANGEMENTS**

Arthur was filled with dread as he set off towards Gaius's chambers, his steps heavy as his thoughts drifted to the events of the night before. Last night, after Arthur had returned from Merlin's room, he had gone to see his father to talk to him about Merlin. Arthur remembered feeling fearful of what Uther would say, because after the hour or so since Arthur had made the announcement, Uther had given strict instructions for nobody to disturb him. Not a good sign, Arthur had thought. When he had reached Uther's chambers which had two guards posted outside, he had paused to gather his thoughts before he had opened the door and stepped inside. Uther had been sitting at his large mahogany table, quill in hand, when Arthur had walked in. His father had stopped what he was doing and asked why he had been disturbed when he had given strict instructions to the contrary.

*****

_The night before_

"I've come to talk to you about my relationship with Merlin," Arthur answered and, under his father's stern stare, thought it would be a good idea to stay near the door for a quick escape.

"Your relationship?" Uther inquired, the candles giving the feel of false warmth on the aged face. "Being with your manservant in a romantic way for all of one day is a relationship?"

Arthur hadn't expected the question, but he set his jaw stubbornly, blue eyes locked intently on the man in front of him.

"I call what I've had with Merlin for the best part of two years a relationship. Yesterday was the first time we had actually done anything romantic with each other," Arthur replied and saw the thin lips on his father's face become thinner in annoyance.

"You're a prince, Arthur, and as such, you are expected to behave like one," Uther stated in a matter-of-fact tone, and Arthur instantly felt as though this would turn into another of the 'How To Be A Prince' lectures that Uther was fond of giving him.

"Father, I know that I'm the next in line, and for the Pendragon bloodline to continue, I know that one day I will need to produce an heir," Arthur told him and stepped forward towards his father. "But if I don't have Merlin — I don't care about any of that."

"You will produce an heir, Arthur, whether Merlin remains your lover or not," Uther stated and sat back in his chair and studied Arthur's face. "You are the next in line to the throne, and I will not have you dirty the Pendragon name by being involved with a servant."

Arthur didn't hesitate before saying, "Merlin isn't a servant, father. He's a man, and one of the finest I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. You'd see that too if you looked past his clumsiness and social status."

"I fully accept that, on more than one occasion, he has saved your life," Uther conceded and for a moment, Arthur smiled because he thought his father's viewpoint was slowly shifting to accept him and Merlin. "But I will not accept him as your partner when this is just a phase of infatuation that you're going through."

Arthur had never felt so angry with his father. Merlin? An infatuation? _I swear, if he wasn't the king, I'd... I'd... _Taking a step closer to Uther, Arthur straightened up and set his jaw, trying to give the impression that he could stand his own ground.

"I am not asking for your approval father," Arthur ground out as he tried to keep his anger from bubbling over. "Merlin makes me incredibly happy, and I know that I'm a better man for being with him. If you think that this is a phase, something that I'm dabbling in until I fall in love and marry a woman to produce an heir, then you're wrong. The love I feel for Merlin is the same love that you still feel for mother, even after all these years."

When Arthur looked up at Uther, the older man's face was a myriad of emotions that ranged from love to hurt, all the way to anger because Arthur had dared to bring his mother into the equation. For a moment, Arthur wondered if he had said the right thing. Uther cleared his throat and stood up, walked over to Arthur, and stared into his eyes.

"Listen to me Arthur, and heed my words," Uther told him, ringed finger in mid air as he leant in closer to Arthur's face. It took all of Arthur's strength not to take a step back from the imposing figure. "I will allow this_ infatuation_ of yours to continue, but I will not have you bring shame to the Pendragon name or to Camelot. I want Merlin's things moved to your chambers, so that I can ensure that any sort of personal activities will be confined to one area."

"Father..."

"I have not finished, Arthur. We have a banquet tomorrow night, and I will inform the guests of your... situation. This means that you will be on your best behaviour, and if some of the ladies ask you to dance, you will dance. If they ask you to escort them to their chambers, you will. For all intents and purposes, Merlin is secondary to everyone else. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

*****

_Following morning_

_Every step I'm taking  
Every move I make feels  
Lost with no direction  
My faith is shaking_

Arthur arrived at Gaius's chambers and pulled himself back to the present, knocking on the door before walking in. Gaius was by the hearth, fire going with a cauldron of brown liquid bubbling away quietly, carefully noting down something. The old physician, who had tended to Arthur for as long as he could remember, turned to see who the visitor was and smiled at Arthur. Arthur returned the smile and watched as Gaius walked towards him, small book in hand. Arthur quickly scanned the room and looked towards Merlin's small chamber, frowning at the open door.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"He was summoned by Uther, first thing this morning," Gaius answered and felt inside his robe pocket, giving the note to Arthur to look at. "I thought you knew."

"No. No, father never said anything to me about seeing Merlin."

_This can't be good, _Arthur thought and for what felt like the thousandth time in a short period of time, Arthur found himself cursing his own stupidity at having made the announcement the night before. _Merlin was right, I should have waited._ Now, Merlin was with Uther and who knew what might be happening. Regaining his composure, Arthur cleared his throat.

"I spoke to my father last night, and he decided that it would be best if Merlin was to live with me in my chambers."

"As your father wishes. I'll go and fetch a few servants to help take Merlin's belongings up to your room," Gaius told him.

Arthur walked towards Merlin's room, pushing the arms up on his tunic as he readied himself to pack Merlin's things. _There's no way I'm having strangers rifle through Merlin's things, _Arthur thought and was taken aback at the mess in the small room. _If he's going to live with me, there'll be a few rules he needs to follow, like actually putting his clothes away! _Arthur went over to the small window and pushed the shutters open as wide as they could go, which allowed a huge gust of refreshing wind to blow into the room. The wind ruffled Arthur's hair, and as he looked out across the main square, he saw Owen in the stocks. For a brief moment, Arthur wondered if he had been excessive with Owen's punishment. _Don't be stupid! _his inner voice roared. _He bruised Merlin's ribs and physically attacked him! If anything, you didn't do enough!_

Shaking his head, Arthur turned from the window and set about getting Merlin's clothes out from the small cupboard. Arthur inspected each piece of clothing before deciding whether it would be moving up to his room, or whether it would be going into the fire. He noticed that for over half of the clothes, they were well worn and had patches of mismatching material sewn on over holes. Although he felt as though Merlin needed some of those clothes to relax in when he was in Arthur's chambers – _soon to be __our__ chambers_ – he had to make sure he gave Uther no reason to feel as though he had been right about the two of them. The few items of clothing left looked as though they were still brand new, and Arthur noted that these had been the things that Merlin had worn for the special events that he had to attend because of Arthur. _That's it, I'm buying some new clothes for him, _Arthur vowed. _Not only because he needs them but because I promised him I would._

Once the clothing had been sorted, Arthur walked over to the small cupboard beside the bed which he suspected contained some personal belongings of Merlin. As he walked, Arthur heard one of the floorboards squeak under his foot. Frowning, Arthur walked back over the floorboard and again it squeaked. _Strange, _Arthur thought as he walked around the rest of the room. _None of the other floorboards squeak._ Curiosity got the better of him, and Arthur knelt down on the floor, noticing that two corners of the board had the edges chipped off. _For finger spaces? What could Merlin possibly be hiding under here?_ Placing a finger in each corner, Arthur began to lift the board up to reveal the contents below. Arthur caught sight of a leather bound book and...

"What are you doing?" Arthur turned around to see Gaius standing in the doorway with two servants behind him. Arthur quickly dropped the floor board back into place and felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"I was just... the floorboard was squeaking and..."

"I've brought the servants. I'll see to it that Merlin's things are taken to your chambers and put away," Gaius informed him and stepped out of the way so that the servants could come in and do what they needed. He gestured to Arthur with a stern face, "I'm sure you have much to do today."

Arthur stood up and walked out of Merlin's room, embarrassed that Gaius had found him trying to get to Merlin's secret hideaway. _But what could that book have been if Merlin had to hide it?_ Sighing as he walked out of the chambers, Arthur trotted downstairs and out into the main courtyard. A fresh breeze blew into Arthur's face, and he stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, eyes closed, tired after the events of the past day. . Opening his eyes, Arthur was met with Owen's hateful stare. Owen was still in the stocks, and Arthur returned the look with a glare of his own. Arthur walked slowly down the stone steps whilst keeping his gaze fixated on Owen, and the nearer he got to the bottom of the steps, the more Arthur was sure that Owen was planning something. The way the man's eyes narrowed with each step that Arthur took, plus the way in which Owen seemed to have a twisted smile at the corners of his lips, gave Arthur the feeling that Owen was indeed planning something. _When he gets out of the stocks, I'll make sure Merlin doesn't go anywhere without an escort,_ Arthur thought as he turned away from Owen and made his way to the royal tailor.

Arthur stepped over the threshold into the cool room, glad to be out of the hot sun, and was greeted by the young man who had been employed as the royal tailor. Jack, although only twenty-five, was known for miles around for his ability to make the finest clothes. He made outfits for all of the dignitaries and visitors to Camelot as a sign of welcome. He was slightly shorter than Arthur, with jet black hair, emerald green eyes, and a pair of ears that listened to the problems of his customers without ever uttering a word about them to anyone else. On one side of the room which Jack and his clothes occupied there were cupboards that contained a variety of many-coloured fabrics. On the opposite side, tunics, breeches, and various other clothing that Jack had made were hung up and displayed proudly. At the back was a small area where his customers could go to change and get measured for their outfit in privacy. Windows lined the back wall.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Prince Arthur?" Jack asked as he walked forward with a huge smile on his face. "The real prince would never enter this room willingly unless the lovely Morgana or our noble king was at his back."

"I'll have you know that I don't need Morgana or my father to do things." Arthur smirked and walked over to the displayed clothes. "I see you've been busy."

"Well, it gets awfully lonely down here so I need to do something to keep my sanity," Jack remarked and stood beside his clothes, with a thoughtful look on his face."I've got three tunics that would be perfect for you in black, cream, and red."

"Actually, I haven't come here to buy things for myself," Arthur confided and began to blush as he fingered a silk tunic. "I've come to buy some clothing for Merlin."

"I was wondering when you two would get it together."

Arthur's head whipped around at that statement. Unconcerned, Jack began to pull out tunics and breeches, long coats and short coats, undergarments and shoes. With the large table in the centre of the room piled high with items, Jack set about laying them all out so that Arthur could get a good look at what he had chosen. _He was wondering when Merlin and I would get it together?_ Arthur pondered as he walked over to the table. _Was it really that obvious to everyone else, too?_

"So what were you thinking of getting him, and in what colours?"

"You knew that we were in love with each other?" Arthur asked, pointing to a simple cotton tunic. "I'd like that in four colours, but keep them all earthy colours. The reddy browns and dark greens seem to look good on him."

Taking a quill and piece of parchment, Jack made a note of the request. "I didn't know you were in love with each other, I just knew that you two liked each other so much that, well, it was only a matter of time before you became intimate. How's your father taking it?"

"Oh, just great. He wishes me and Merlin all the luck in the world and hopes that one day we'll find a way to have a baby together," Arthur answered sarcastically and felt the fabric of a pair of breeches. "I'll take three of these, and in either dark brown or black. Would you be able to do some sort of subtle detailing on these?"

"Of course I can do subtle detailing," Jack informed him and again scribbled a note down. "Well, give him enough time and he'll come around, I'm sure. Or even better, get Merlin to do something that will make your father think that you two really do belong together. Might I recommend that you get the soft leather boots with those?"

"Father? Change his mind? It's more probable that Merlin has magic and uses it daily than it is for my father to change his mind," Arthur joked, and Jack smiled as he watched Arthur pick up the boots, examine them and then put them down. "Three pairs of these, two black and one dark brown."

Arthur continued to walk around the table, inspecting all of the items and giving the order to Jack, who happily listened and answered when required.

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**Please read and review!**

**x o x o **


	4. Beginning Of The End

**A/N:**

Hey everyone! Here is chapter four in The Climb! Thank you so much to Cori for being such a phenomenal beta, and thank you to you, the readers, for reading and reviewing this story! Without you guys, no one would be able to enjoy my ramblings! The reviews have been really heart warming and brilliant for me to see! So as an extra treat, I'll dedicate this to my beta and all my reviewers!

I'm kinda busy over the next couple of days, so I'll try and get chapter five up as soon as I can!

In the mean time, enjoy and review!

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**BEGINNING OF THE END**

_How much longer will I be kept here? _Owen thought, his mood dark and murderous as he glared out at the few people who looked at him as they passed by. Two full days had come and gone since he was first put into the stocks, and now that the third day was almost over, Owen was ready to thump the first person he saw when he was released. His face and hands were as red as beetroot, sunburned skin peeling. Three times each day had Owen been given water by one of the guards watching over him, yet no food was provided. He had heard them speak of Sir Galahad as they pondered when the knight would come for his servant, and then of what Owen did to Merlin to warrant the stocks as a punishment. _Just when is Galahad going to release me?_

As though the knight had heard Owen's thoughts, Sir Galahad appeared in front of him, grim faced with deathly intent in his eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments, and Owen wondered what was going to befall him now. _Nothing could be worse than sunburn, dehydration, and starvation, surely?_ With a flick of his gloved hand, Sir Galahad watched as the two guards began to remove the padlocks at either end of the stocks. When the top half was removed, Owen rose up slowly, carefully stretching out his back and neck so as not to cause muscle cramps from being bent over for three days. Sir Galahad watched, blankly, as Owen stood up to his full height — almost one and a half heads taller than the knight. Unimpressed, Sir Galahad walked away towards the gate that led to the lower town, and Owen followed. At the guard house, Sir Galahad stopped and turned to face Owen.

"You are to leave Camelot within a week, Owen," Sir Galahad stated.

"But..."

"It wasn't your fault? You were provoked?" Sir Galahad lifted his head to look Owen in the eyes. "Let me make it perfectly clear to you. Everyone knows that Merlin will only ever retaliate when he has been pushed to the limit. Why he hadn't reached that limit whilst cavorting with you is a mystery. Yet you overstepped the line when you had him pinned to the wall when Arthur came in."

"I..."

"If I had been Arthur, I would have thrown you in the dungeons indefinitely. The prince has more compassion, even after what he had seen," Sir Galahad continued. "Now get out of my sight. If I so much as see you in the palace grounds ever again, I will not hesitate to run you through like the coward you are."

With that, Sir Galahad pushed past Owen as though the giant man was not there, his red cape with the Pendragon insignia ablaze in gold billowing out behind him. _Him? Run me through? I'd like to see him try!_ Turning and walking across the wooden drawbridge, Owen was met with the sight of King Uther walking through the streets with Merlin by his side, surrounded by numerous knights. As the group passed, Owen made eye contact with Merlin and sneered as he bowed to the king. He could see a flutter of apprehension wash over Merlin's pale face and a sense of twisted enjoyment washed over Owen. _Good, let him worry. What I have planned will soon cause him to wish he had never crossed me._

Once the procession of king and guards had vacated the immediate area, Owen walked through to the lower town. Smells of cooking, the smithy, and fresh dung filled his nostrils as he walked through the streets, the mud cracking underfoot from the intense heat from the sun. With each step that Owen took, his leg muscles felt as though they were going to cramp from not being used over the last three days. Leaning against the wooden frame of the smithy, Owen caught sight of a billowing red silk cloak going into one of the taverns just up the way. _That's odd._ Owen frowned and pushed himself up, setting off after the mysterious figure. With each tavern that Owen passed, he looked into a window to see if he could find the red cloak. When he saw no sign of the cloak, he moved on. At the last tavern, which was located in a dingy and squalid corner of lower Camelot, Owen looked through a window and almost jumped for joy. There, in a back corner of the tavern, a red cloak was hanging on the wall. Taking a step back, Owen looked at the sign that hung above the door. _The Cloaked Woman,_ Owen noted. _An appropriate name. _He ducked through the doorway and stepped inside.

The tavern was at least three quarters full, with serving women and the tavern keeper behind the bar. Over the hearth, a large pot of food was cooking, and for three pennies, Owen could get a bowl of food, a drink, and a chunk of bread. At the smell of the food, Owen's stomach let out a loud rumble, and he pressed his hand flat against it. A loud thud made him turn around just in time to see two men start to fight over something, a small crowd circling the men, egging them on. Uttering a string of curses, the tavern keeper walked out from behind the bar and went to sort the fight out. Shaking his head in amusement, Owen walked over to the back corner and looked around for the owner of the cloak. His fingers brushed against the silky fabric, and he frowned. _Whoever owns this has status_. _So what would someone like that be doing in a place like this?_

"Can I help you?"

Owen whirled around at the sound of the voice and almost keeled over at the sight before him. A woman stood before him, her jet black hair piled up on her head with ringlets cascading downwards from a jewel-studded clip. Sparkling brown eyes looked up at Owen, and he felt entranced by their beauty. She was perfectly made up, with her cheeks slightly rouged and her lips a bright blood red, emphasising the fullness of her lips. Owen trailed his eyes downwards. The woman wore a black silk dress with white stitched detail which looked like... _Snakes?_ The dress was cut low, and her breasts, which were quite pale even after all of the sun, looked ready to spill out of their silky confinement. A silver pendant hung from her neck and a matching bracelet adorned her wrist, both sporting what Owen thought were more snakes. _She's beautiful_. _Shame she's not a man._

"I was just admiring this fine cloak," Owen answered, and the woman smiled sweetly at him. _She's as tall as Merlin,_ Owen noted.

"No, you weren't. You followed me from the smithy." The woman slipped into a seat at the table and motioned to a serving girl. She ordered two bowls of food with ale and bread, then gestured at Owen. "Sit down, Owen."

"How do you know my name?" Owen asked, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He looked around and saw that everyone was still interested in the fight going on, but his body remained tense in case someone associated with this woman was going to try and harm him.

"I know many things," she answered cryptically and smiled as she looked deep into his eyes. For a moment, Owen felt light headed and he put a hand on the table to steady himself. "Come, sit. You must be weak from being in the stocks for three days without food or water."

"Weak, yes," Owen murmured and sat down opposite the woman, although the suspicious look in his eyes didn't fade.

"I am Elizabeth, and I have heard whispers that you are in need of my services."

Owen frowned deeply then, every fibre of his being telling him to run away from this place, as far and as fast as his legs could carry him. Yet there was something bewitching about her, something about the way she carried herself that meant no one could look after her better than herself. _Just see what she thinks you need, and then leave._

"I beg your pardon, my lady, but I have never heard of you, nor do I need your services," Owen stated, and Elizabeth watched with an amused smile on her face, the sort given to a child when you could see them doing something wrong but they themselves couldn't. The serving woman came back with the food and drink, and Elizabeth pushed a bowl towards Owen.

"Eat, Owen, and let me explain," Elizabeth instructed, and Owen looked down at the food as though it had been tainted with something. She smiled and added, "You really must be ravenous. You'll feel better once you've eaten something, I promise."

For the second time in as many minutes, Owen felt light headed, and he picked up the spoon and began to eat the soup. It was hot and warming, full of carrots and meat. Taking a chunk of bread, Owen hungrily bit into it and looked at Elizabeth, as though remembering whose company he was in.

"You were put into the stocks because you were found pinning the prince's manservant against the stable wall, correct?" Elizabeth asked and placed her hands palm down on the table. Owen nodded and continued to eat. "And you feel as though that was a little... extreme? That had Merlin not rebuffed your advances, you would never have fallen out, and you would never have ended up in the stocks?"

"That's right," Owen answered, and Elizabeth smiled. "All I wanted was to go further than kissing and groping. I'm a man, I have needs."

"Indeed you are and do," Elizabeth soothed and shook her head, the black ringlets swinging from side to side hypnotically. "I am certain that this was a huge mistake that should never have happened. It is not your fault that Merlin is in love with the prince, is it?"

"No, it's not," Owen replied and pushed more of the soup into his mouth. "I'm all that Merlin needed, and he turned me down for that... that prat. Well, if he wants to be the royal whore, why should I stop him?"

"Of course. Yet you have to make a choice out of the two options that are available to you," Elizabeth continued and lifted her right hand off of the table and counted them off. "First, you could do as Sir Galahad instructed and leave Camelot, effectively banished, never to return. Or you could get your revenge on Merlin and bring him to his knees."

Owen stopped for a moment, spoon midway to his mouth. _How does she know all of this? _The feeling was back now, telling him to drop the spoon and run, but there was an even greater urge to continue listening to Elizabeth.

"I'd like to bring Merlin to his knees," Owen admitted, and Elizabeth's face lit up in delight, "But it would be impossible."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why? He has the protection of the royal prat for starters, along with near enough all of the knights of Camelot. To add to that, even the royal serving staff would side with him if anyone was to ever do anything to him," Owen explained. Pushing away the empty bowl of food, Owen made a grab for the second and began to eat from that.

"Then become a serpent, my dear Owen, and do something that no one is suspecting," Elizabeth chided and flicked some ringlets back behind her head. "Magic is punishable by death here in Camelot, is it not?"

"It is."

"Then accuse Merlin of being a sorcerer," Elizabeth instructed and a look of shock washed over Owen's face. "Don't act so surprised, my dear one. All you need to do is whisper in a few ears that will listen and the seed of doubt will be sown. Like a weed, it will spread until even the prince himself doubts Merlin."

"That will never happen," Owen instantly replied, and Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, her brown eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "As I've already said, Merlin is held in such high esteem by everyone that I'd be the one at the stake for accusing him of magic."

"Then perhaps it might be best if something... magical was to happen in front of a large group of people — people who could confirm your accusations." Elizabeth pondered for a moment and absentmindedly touched the snake pendant. Owen's eyes suddenly fixated on the pendant as well.

"And how do I do that, without making it look as though I have magic myself?"

"This is where you require my services, Owen. Tomorrow, at high noon I will see to it that Merlin is unmistakeably taken for a sorcerer," Elizabeth answered. "All you need to do is make sure that there are people who can back you up in your accusation."

Owen looked at her and smiled, his eyes glittering with malice as Elizabeth filled him in on the details of the plan. Finally, Elizabeth excused herself, taking her red cloak with her. Owen watched with satisfaction as she exited the tavern and then blinked rapidly, held a hand to his head, and looked around as though in a daze. He looked down at the table and saw two bowls that had once contained food, two goblets of ale and bread crumbs. _How did they get there?_ Standing up, and with the fight still going on, Owen exited the tavern with an idea of how he was going to bring Merlin to his knees by tomorrow at high noon.

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**Please read, review, and let me know what you think is going to happen!**

**x o x o **


	5. I Am What I Am

**A/N:**

Hi everyone! Sorry for the rather huge delay in getting this posted! Work has been rather stressful with meetings and stuff, so I've had to focus on them! But fear not, for I am back to a regular time table, so I can resume writing for you all! Here's the next installment for all of you to enjoy! Huge thanks to Cori who has been an absolute star!

So please, read and review my lovely readers!

* * *

**I AM WHAT I AM**

_There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be a uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose_

Merlin was fuming as he stalked through the stone corridors towards Arthur's chambers._ He must have smacked his head if he thinks I'll let this slide! _When Merlin had returned home after a few torturous hours with Uther, he had found his belongings all gone from his room. He had asked Gaius what had happened, and Gaius had simply replied that Arthur had come and had his things taken up to his room. That was when Merlin had stormed off in search of Arthur. Without glancing at the two sentries posted outside of Arthur's room, Merlin pushed the door open and slammed it shut, causing its two inhabitants to jump.

Jack was there, illuminated in the afternoon sun that was pouring in through the panes of glass in the windows, hovering over some clothes. Arthur stood beside him and after glancing at Merlin, began to look at Jack for support. Jack quickly picked up his things, said a polite hello to Merlin and darted from the room.

"You have really overstepped the mark, Arthur." Merlin's voice was raised in anger. "Just who do you think you are moving all of my things?"

"I..."

"Did I say you could talk?" Merlin paced the floor and then whirled back around to face Arthur. "I mean, really, do you have to be a prat and think you can get away with everything?"

"Merlin..."

"For crying out loud, be quiet, Arthur!" Merlin pointed to the large four poster bed, "Sit there, don't talk. I had an incredibly horrible morning because of your father, who told me in no uncertain terms that I was just a passing interest for you. Then Owen gave me a look that if it were possible, I'd have been killed there on the spot. I thought that I could relax with a hot bath but when I tried to get some clean clothes, Gaius tells me you had all of my things moved into your chambers! I come here, and I see you're with Jack getting new clothes! I swear, Arthur, you're the most selfish git that I have ever known!"

Arthur was in complete shock and just looked dumbly at Merlin. _Selfish git... _The words floated around Arthur's mind like lead balloons, making Arthur feel faintly nauseous. As Merlin continued to speak, Arthur began to filter through everything that had been said, trying to see if there was a way to get out of the terrible mess that had been made.

"Are you even listening?"

Arthur blinked a few times and looked up at Merlin, who was now standing right in front of him. His face was slightly flushed with anger and his blue eyes sparkled. _I never noticed how sexy you look when you're mad._

"Sexy? You think I'm sexy when I'm mad?!" Merlin turned and paced around the room before walking right back up to Arthur. Arthur felt a sharp jab in his shoulder, and he rubbed the sore spot, trying to think of how Merlin knew what he had been thinking. "Of all the things that you could have..."

"Shut up!"

Merlin stood in stunned silence as Arthur stood up, turned them around and pushed Merlin onto the bed. With the taller man splayed across the soft golden sheet, Arthur spoke to Merlin.

"I will have you know that I was listening," Arthur stated and held up a finger."First, I think I'm your boyfriend, partner, best friend... everything you could want rolled into one. Except with all the yelling you've done, I'm lost as to what I could actually do to make you feel happy."

"Arthur..."

"Second." Another finger went up. "You don't tell me when I can and can't talk. Unless you haven't noticed, I don't listen very well to others and I tend to do whatever I want. It's a character flaw that I have, and if you don't like it, then you're going to have to live with it!"

"I..."

"Third, I am a prat, a royal one. You've said it enough times before now, but just because I do rash things now and again, that doesn't mean I don't suffer the repercussions later. Just look at now as an example. I moved your clothes because I wanted you to move in with me, because I'm in love with you, but you bloody well assumed I did what I did because I could."

Arthur paused for a moment in an attempt to regain some composure, letting the words sink in for Merlin as Arthur moved forward and pulled Merlin into a sitting position. His fingers roughed up Merlin's hair as he continued.

"I didn't know my father had summoned you, and if I did, then I would have made sure that you had an advance warning." Arthur softened his tone and brushed his fingers down Merlin's cheek. Merlin turned his face and kissed Arthur's palm. "Sir Galahad told me himself that Owen will be out of Camelot within the week, so as much as I would love to have him thrown in the stocks, it'll be much better to let him go around giving us murderous looks. He's just jealous because I have the best lover I could ever ask for. And Jack? He wasn't in here for my needs, he was in here because he was giving me the last of the clothes that I had just bought for you."

Merlin's eyes lit up and Arthur looked downwards, not used to sharing his feelings or thoughts with Merlin. He felt another warm kiss get pressed into his palm before his whole hand was turned around, where Merlin proceeded to kiss the back of his hand. _You really are an infuriating man, Merlin. One moment I think everything is perfect, and all I want to do is hold you in my arms. The next, you get me so confused about what I'm supposed to be thinking that I feel like I want to wring your neck._

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Merlin spoke quietly, his voice shaking as he tried to reign in his emotions. He stood up, chest to chest with Arthur, eyes filled with tears from all the stress from the last two days. "I didn't mean to..."

Arthur pulled Merlin tightly to him, and Merlin buried his face into the crook of Arthur's neck. A tear fell unbidden down his cheek and onto Arthur's neck as the blonde rubbed his back and squeezed in the right places. _Oh Arthur, how can I ever tell you that I'm so scared of what's to become of us? That maybe your father's right, that this is just an infatuation and I'm lashing out because I don't want to get too close if it's all just a phase?_

"Don't you ever think like that," Arthur spoke, and Merlin stood straight, Arthur's warm hand cupping his face and thumb wiping away the tear. "I'm scared too, Merlin. I've never been so scared. What we have? It's more than love, more than anything any two people can have with each other, and it's not a phase. I promise you, until the day I draw my last breath, you will be stuck with this royal prat because I am what I am – a prat that's madly and deeply in love with an idiot."

Merlin looked down and for the first time that day, smiled. He leant down and rubbed noses with Arthur, who gave him a rather goofy grin back. Their lips met and in an instant, all of Merlin's doubts that had bubbled over were vanishing. _I wonder if he knows the real reason behind my tirade?_

"I know the real reason, you know," Arthur said in between kisses as he pushed Merlin down onto the bed, straddling the raven haired man so as to prevent his escape. "You were angry that I hadn't asked you if you wanted to move in with me, that it seemed to you as though I didn't value your opinions in this huge step that I wanted us to take. I do want your opinions, Merlin, but I'm not used to doing anything remotely romantic, so I guess today I was just trying to show you that I cared."

"You know how I feel about you, Arthur," Merlin murmured and looked up at the man in question. "And this was certainly romantic, you wanting to share your bed with me. Just next time, ask before you do anything. Or, even better, do that thing when words and sounds come out of your mouth. You know, talk to me."

Arthur smiled then, and Merlin's heart skipped a beat, just like it always did when he was with Arthur. Merlin watched as Arthur climbed off of him and moved up to the top of the bed, where the large soft pillows beckoned. Arthur kicked off his boots and inclined his head, causing Merlin to smirk as he went up to the pillows as well. A feeling of safety and security spread through Merlin as Arthur encircled him with strong arms, but as Merlin relaxed, he couldn't help feeling a flash of foreboding. It all seemed too perfect to last.

The hazy golden glow of sunset filtered through Arthur's room, a warm summer breeze beckoning for the evening to follow. He was still atop his bed, fully clothed, with a quiet and happy Merlin wrapped in his arms. They had spoken for a while, aired a few things that needed to be in the open, and had then just lain with each other for the remainder of the time. _I swear, if I die now, I'll be a happy man,_ Arthur thought and rubbed his thumb over the back of Merlin's hand, who squeezed Arthur's other hand affectionately. A small smile bloomed over Arthur's face, and he kissed the top of Merlin's head, before grudgingly pulling himself away from his beloved.

"Where do you think you're going?" Merlin asked as he rolled over to face Arthur. "I was enjoying myself there."

Arthur chuckled, got off the bed, and stretched. The wrinkled tunic rode up, exposing his midsection, and he turned around in a slow motion, showing Merlin all that he had to offer.

"It's not that I don't want to remain in bed, hugging you," Arthur began, and Merlin instantly sat up with a suspicious look in his eye. "Remember that banquet that was planned a few weeks ago?"

"You mean, the one where Morgana wants to set you up with a lady friend of hers?"

Arthur couldn't keep the smirk off his face at the sound of jealousy in Merlin's voice, and he quickly had to dart out of the way as Merlin flung a pillow at him.

"That's the one. Well, we have to go, by order of my father. So, get your behind out of our bed and go and get washed while I get the clothes organised."

Merlin rolled his eyes and climbed off the bed, walked past Arthur and then disappeared behind the screen with a quiet grumble. Arthur shook his head in amusement and went over to the clothes that were still on display from earlier. He had been shocked to discover that Jack had most of the clothes already made, but Jack said that he always made extra of what he needed and never wasted even the smallest of fabric pieces. So, as Arthur looked over the clothes, he felt instantly drawn to an electric blue tunic with fine white detail on the sleeves. He held the fabric up to the golden light of early evening and watched as the silk caught the light. _He'll be a stunner in this,_ Arthur noted and felt himself hardening at the prospect of getting Merlin out of the tunic earlier. _Down, Arthur. There'll be plenty of time for that later. _Pushing away the lust that vied for his attention, Arthur picked out a black pair of soft leather breeches and leather boots to complete the ensemble. _Well, almost complete._

"All right, I've got washed, now I need the clothes."

Turning away from the table, Arthur walked over to the screen and passed around the clothes to Merlin. Arthur walked over to the clothes again and fished out the one piece of clothing that he had asked Jack to make especially for tonight. Finding it, Arthur pulled it out and gazed at it. Made in white silk, the tunic was exactly the same as Merlin's, except where Merlin's had white detailing, Arthur's had electric blue detailing. On the sleeves, extending from cuff to elbow, was an embroidered willow tree. _I wonder if he'll find that romantic, _Arthur wondered as his fingers traced over the threads to the willow tree. _That I wanted the willow tree as the detailing to the tunics?_ At the sound of Merlin clearing his throat, Arthur turned around and had to stop himself from grabbing Merlin and running his hands over Merlin's body, feeling him through the silk and leather.

"You look absolutely..."

"Pretentious?"

"Beautiful," Arthur finished, and Merlin blushed as he pulled at the tunic to get it to sit perfectly on his slender frame. "Now, I'm going to get myself changed and then we can get going. I want to make a good impression."

With that, Arthur snatched up a pair of breeches and walked off behind the screen.

Merlin took the opportunity to look at himself in the full length mirror that Arthur had positioned by the window and quietly admired the fine work that Jack had done with the tunic. The material felt lovely against his skin and it seemed almost liquid in the last rays of the sun. Sneaking a look over to where Arthur was, Merlin quickly murmured a few words as his eyes flared gold, and the candles in the main part of Arthur's chambers lit up. Turning his attention back to his reflection, Merlin's eyes were drawn to the sleeve detailing, and he felt himself flush with the memory of the willow tree back in Ealdor. _The first intimate love bite._ Merlin smiled as he let his hand drift down to where Arthur had bit him. _Which led to us winning the treat, which led to the night that changed everything._ His breeches felt tight, and he looked down at himself, willin the erection to die so that he wouldn't have to greet Uther and his guests in an obvious state of arousal.

"So, what do you think?"

Merlin turned around and smiled warmly at the sight of Arthur in his clean attire, ready for the evening ahead. Merlin felt his curiosity pique when he noticed that both of Arthur's hands were behind his back and when Merlin stepped forward, Arthur took a step back. For a moment, Merlin stepped forwards, sidewards and backwards, and smiled when Arthur matched him, step for step.

"What have you got behind your back?" Merlin asked as he took a step forward, only for Arthur to take a step back.

"I got you a little something," Arthur answered and this time, walked towards Merlin with his hands outstretched with a neatly wrapped bundle in his palms. He took a step back, looked down, and Merlin thought he looked extremely cute trying to be coy. "I hope you like it."

Quickly pulling at one of the ribbon ends, Merlin made short work of the piece of fabric that contained his present. As he let the coarse material fall to the floor, Merlin let out a small gasp at the gift that Arthur had gotten him. Made from a soft leather, a buffed new black bracelet with a small silver clasp on the inside lay in his hands. As he lifted the item closer to look at, he noticed that there were two letters that were embroidered on the front part of the bracelet. There was an 'A' and an 'M', entwined, with a white dragon reaching out to clasp the letters. Merlin quickly took the bracelet, unfastened it, and placed it onto his wrist before securing it just as quickly. Merlin looked up at Arthur and it took all of his control not to go over to the man and rip clothes off.

"Thank you," Merlin said and smiled brightly as he checked the bracelet in the mirror, making sure that the entwined initials faced outwards, "This is beautiful, Arthur. Absolutely beautiful."

Arthur walked up behind him and pulled their bodies close, hands clasped over Merlin's stomach as he kissed the back of Merlin's neck. Merlin couldn't keep the smile off of his face and he ground himself into Arthur, causing the other man to moan gently as something hard prodded between their clothes.

"Someone is definitely going to be thanked later on. Now, let's get this evening over with so that we can come back here and I can show you exactly how grateful I am."

Arthur was annoyed, and it clearly showed on his face. He had been at the banquet for the last two hours and although lively music played and the wine was flowing, Arthur couldn't get into the swing of things. He stood off to the side and surveyed the room, happy that he was being left alone for a few minutes. Morgana had invited twenty guests and they had come from near and far to be here tonight, all dressed in their best for the event. Morgana herself looked beautiful in a sapphire blue gown, her hair done up with fresh flowers and small gems. So far, Arthur had been made to dance with every female guest, including Morgana, at least twice, and had even flirted to make them feel attractive. Yet with all of the fussing that the ladies were giving him, Arthur wasn't annoyed with this. He was annoyed with Merlin.

Since they had arrived, Merlin had spoken briefly to Uther, then to each guest in turn, before standing awkwardly in a corner beside the table which was laden with food and drink. At intermittent intervals, Uther had brought guests over to Merlin for presumably more detailed conversations, and at the beginning, Arthur had felt really proud of Merlin because the young man was doing everything that he could to make a good impression. Yet that pride quickly turned into annoyance when Merlin had begun serving the guests as though he were still a manservant, and not the romantic partner to the Prince of Camelot. At first, Arthur thought Merlin was simply being polite, but near two hours later, he was still pouring drinks, handing plates of food, and generally doing whatever the guests wanted. When a pretty blonde woman openly flaunted her charms to Merlin, Arthur snapped inside and went straight over to the two of them.

"Merlin, a word."

Before Merlin could respond, Arthur held onto a slender arm firmly and pulled Merlin away from the blonde woman, who glared angrily behind their backs. When they reached a side column, Uther watched the proceedings quietly from the side whilst talking to dignitaries.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Excuse me?"

Merlin looked completely baffled at Arthur's question.

"You're serving people, Merlin," Arthur clarified, and Merlin's eyes widened before narrowing fractionally,."You're not here to serve, Merlin."

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin began in a voice that was loud enough to draw attention from the guests in the near vicinity, including Uther. "I thought I was being a gentleman. You know, the ones who actually make sure that people other than themselves have all their needs seen to? I didn't realise that only servants could do that."

"You know what I mean, Merlin," Arthur retorted and folded his arms across his chest, the tunic stretching around his muscles. "You're my partner, my lover. You don't serve anyone any more now that you're with me."

"Oh, so let me get this absolutely right." Merlin squared up in front of Arthur and pushed him backwards, the guests completely forgotten about as Merlin continued to raise his voice at Arthur. Morgana went to stand beside Uther, whose face was unreadable as to what was unfolding. "So because I'm with you, the Prince of Camelot, I no longer need to be a gentleman the way my mother has taught me? Instead, I have to now become a snobby prat who watches from the side as servants do what I could very easily do myself?"

"Merlin..." Arthur was completely stunned at how this had turned out. _Why is it that the way things play out in your head never actually follow the same path in reality?_

"Listen to me, right now, Arthur Pendragon." Merlin jabbed a finger into Arthur's chest as he continued. "I was born in Ealdor, and we were taught manners and good graces. I learned how to be a man and when I came to Camelot, I was suddenly propelled into becoming your manservant. I have saved your life countless times and have even offered mine up to keep yours safe. When you have told me to jump, I have jumped. But I will not let you try and change who I am just so that you can save your own honour among guests that you don't even like."

As though realising where he was, Merlin looked around and began to go as bright a shade of red as Arthur was. Arthur watched a mixture of emotions sweep across the angular face and wondered if he should do anything. _But what would I do?_ As though reading his mind, Merlin took a deep breath and addressed the guests.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with the stocks."

With that, Merlin walked out of the great hall, leaving the guests, Morgana, Uther and Arthur all staring after him.

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**Please read and review! I love reading everything you comment on!**

**x o x o**


	6. Death Begins Its March

**A/N:**

Hey everyone! Here is Chapter 6 to The Climb! As always, a huge thanks to Cori who is a huge help to me! Much love to you Cori! A huge thanks to you lovely people who read and spend a few minutes giving me my reviews! It's always nice to know what you guys are thinking or feeling about the story, so keep the feedback coming!

Alrighty, a bit of nitty gritty detail here - from this chapter onwards, the story goes AU! So far, Glitter In The Air and The Climb have followed the two brilliant series of Merlin, but now it goes into the world of being non-canon and branching into AU. So when you see two characters that shouldn't be there based on the series two timeline, I've already given you a heads up!

Ranting over, here's Death Begins Its March! Hope you enjoy, and please read and review!

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**DEATH BEGINS ITS MARCH**

Merlin's heart was pounding as he walked through the stone corridors towards the courtyard, his cheeks still flushed with embarrassment at the scene that he had caused in the great hall. _All Arthur wanted you to do was to stop serving people, _he rationalised. _But that's like telling me to change who I am! And it wasn't serving, not exactly. More like being hospitable._ Merlin shook his dark head and gave Sir Galahad a brief nod as they passed each other on the main staircase. Merlin could only think about how Morgana would flail him alive in the morning, right after Uther had meted out whatever punishment he deemed appropriate for the disruption. _Oh well, the bright side is that it's not Uther throwing me in the stocks, it's myself!_

_Merlin..._

The suddenness of the voice caught Merlin off guard, and he stumbled down the last few steps. Although he knew who the voice belonged to, it still unnerved Merlin to suddenly hear the gravelly mutter when he was least expecting it. _I hope he doesn't do that when I'm in bed with Arthur, _Merlin thought. _Not sure how I would explain to Arthur the reason I'd have pushed him onto the floor in shock. _Shaking his head, Merlin continued to walk down the main entryway so that he could put himself in the stocks.

_Camelot is in grave peril..._

Merlin slowed at the statement, and a frown creased his brow. _What's threatening Camelot now? _Although his inner self was telling him that he could wait until morning to see the dragon, Merlin quickly found himself making his way down to the dragon's cavernous underground lair.

_Yes, Merlin. Make haste..._

Within minutes, Merlin was descending the cold steps that led downwards, the large torch in his hand creating eerie shadows on the damp walls. His footsteps echoed off the craggy walls, as he wondered what had caused the dragon to sound so... _worried._ The thought was unnerving. _He's never sounded worried before. Urgent, yes, bossy even, but never worried._ As Merlin walked into the cavernous space, he saw the dragon already waiting on his rocky perch. _And he's never done that before, either._

"What's wrong?"

The dragon moved forward fractionally, not replying, and Merlin frowned. _First, he tells me to hurry, and now he's taking his time?_

"Camelot is in grave peril, young warlock," the dragon finally said. Merlin watched as the dragon turned his head to the side, almost as though considering what he had to say. _Or is he scared? _Merlin shivered at the thought, because if the dragon was scared, then Merlin knew he should be terrified. "Much graver than anything you have come across or are likely to face."

"What could possibly be more dangerous than everything so far?" Merlin asked and stepped forward, the torchlight reflecting in the large, gleaming eyes of the dragon.

"Warlocks, Merlin." The simple reply caught Merlin off guard. Never before had he been given such a direct and straight answer, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say. The Great Dragon spread his leathery wings, flapped them and returned to sitting quietly.

"Warlocks? As in people like me? People who have magic?"

"Do not be fooled, young warlock. You may share the gift of magic with them, but you are nothing alike. These warlocks practice solely the black arts and as such, are more powerful than you could imagine."

Merlin frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but instead no words came out. _So the great danger is a few warlocks? _Merlin thought as he closed his mouth and looked carefully at his guide.

"Three of the strongest warlocks of our time march on Camelot, intent on wiping out this great city for their own amusement. One of them, a woman who wears snakes, is already here, guiding their way." Merlin listened intently and wondered why no one had reported a woman wearing snakes being seen in Camelot, especially if the snakes were venomous. _He's never been wrong before, but I can't see a woman walking around Camelot wearing snakes and not being noticed. _"Whatever happens, you must protect Arthur. The days after he becomes king will determine the course of action that you must take to fulfil your destiny."

"Wait," Merlin quickly interjected, and the dragon narrowed his eyes, waiting for Merlin to continue."You're talking as though this will all happen in the near future? That Arthur will soon be king? But for that to happen..."

"Uther will die, Merlin, and when he does, the remaining two warlocks will march with their legions on Camelot," came the answer, and Merlin's blood ran cold. _Uther's going to die? No, no, there has to be some sort of mistake... _"But that does not change things. The bonds between you and Arthur are now strengthening day by day. No doubt you have discovered some of your newer abilities with Arthur, such as the ability to see the magical threads that bind you together, or the ability to hear his inner thoughts as clearly as if he were saying them. You must protect Arthur, Merlin. Your destiny is tangled with his, and for your potential to be reached, Arthur must live."

"You've just told me that Uther will die," Merlin said, voice raised with anger and annoyance that the Great Dragon had gone back to being cryptic. "That because of my relationship with Arthur, my powers are increasing, and that an army with three powerful warlocks will march to destroy Camelot. You need to tell me when, or at least how to stop them."

"I have already told you enough."

"You've been direct and then you switched to being cryptic. You've told me what will happen, but now refuse to tell me what I need to know!"

"Everything will be made clearer, young warlock, in time. For now, I must contemplate future events."

With that, the dragon sat up and stretched, long wings unfurling before he jumped off from his perch and flew upwards. The sudden gust of air caused the torch's flame to flicker wildly for a moment before it resumed its constant orange glow in the darkness. Merlin stood there for a moment and wondered if yelling after the huge beast would make any difference. _How can I look at Arthur, make love to Arthur, if I know that his father is going to die?_

As Merlin walked out of the cavern and past the guards, deep in a magically induced sleep, his mind tried to find an answer to that question. He would have to look at Uther and know that in the foreseeable future, he would die and Arthur would be crowned king in his place. Merlin knew that for all of the disagreements Arthur had with his father, Uther's death would shake his lover to the core and could very well leave Arthur heartbroken. _But I'll stand with him and bear the burden too, _Merlin thought, his feet falling heavily on the floor as he made his way to the stocks. _I may not be able to tell him what's to come, but I'll make sure I'm there for him afterwards._ Merlin bumped into someone, so lost was he in his thoughts, and when he looked up and saw a cloaked Uther staring back at him, Merlin thought he would die of shock.

"Your majesty..."

"That was quite a show you put on tonight," Uther commented, and for a moment, the flickering candlelight from the hanging candelabra gave the king a rather demonic countenance. Merlin blinked rapidly and tried to find words to express how sorry he was for the embarrassment. "Although had Arthur been level-headed, he would have realised that was not the time to air his grievances with you."

"Of course, sire. I'm deeply sorry for any embarrassment I caused for you, Morgana, or her guests," Merlin quickly said, and Uther cocked his head to the side fractionally. "After I've spent the night in the stocks, I'll make sure that I go and apologise to everyone who was in the great hall at the time."

"Perhaps you're good for Arthur, Merlin," Uther said after a long moment, still staring at Merlin. "I've never known anyone else who would stand up to him, other than Morgana or myself. Maybe this... relationship... of yours will benefit him in the years to come."

"I don't know what to say..."

"Perhaps it would be best if you said nothing, hmm?" Uther straightened himself to his full height. "For now, go to the stocks and know that when you're finished there, a hot bath will be waiting for you in your new chambers."

With that, Uther turned away, leaving Merlin staring after him in wonder. _Did Uther just imply that he thinks I'm good for Arthur? This really is one heck of a night._ Merlin walked along the now cool marble corridor as his mind tried to process all of the information that he had been exposed to within the last hour. _I swear, if anything else out of the ordinary happens, I'll become a monk and live a life of celibacy!_ As Merlin stood at the top of the steps, he really began to wish that he hadn't made that statement, even if it was an internal one. There, in the middle of the courtyard where the stocks stood, was Arthur, still in his fine tunic, being locked into the stocks. Sir Galahad was there, making sure that the padlock that kept the top section firmly in place was secured. About fifteen feet away from Arthur were two baskets filled to the brim with rotten fruit and vegetables. As Merlin descended the stairs slowly, Arthur tried to look up as best he could to see the pale man.

_I wonder how many times Merlin's been here over the last two years? _Arthur thought and flexed his hands and shifted his weight across both feet. _Because this is getting rather uncomfortable rather quickly._ Sir Galahad stood to the side, and Arthur turned his head towards his most trusted knight, quietly telling him to give the stocks' key to Merlin. The knight did as he was told, and Arthur stared at Merlin, who was now standing beside the two baskets of fruit and vegetables. Sir Galahad pressed the key into Merlin's hand. As the knight walked away, the two men were left looking at each other in the middle of the court yard, where shadows were elongated by flickering torches.

"What are you doing in the stocks?" Merlin asked first, and Arthur tried to smile at him to break some of the tension.

"I'm here because I was the one who caused the trouble tonight," Arthur answered, back beginning to ache slightly from being bent over. "Because I would certainly not come here out of choice, I can assure you. How do you put up with being bent over all the time?"

"Back beginning to ache?" Merlin asked and bent down to inspect some of the fruit and vegetables that had been placed out for him by Arthur. Arthur knew that most of the food was rotten and prayed that Merlin wouldn't use all of it.

"Just a little," Arthur answered and quickly squeezed his eyes shut as a tomato exploded right beside his face, splattering juices and pulp across his skin. Some of the juice managed to get into his mouth, and Arthur grimaced at the vile taste and tried to spit it out. "Gah, that's absolutely horrid!"

"Welcome to my world," Merlin stated and threw another tomato as hard as he could. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut again and felt the bulk of the tomato pulp fall on top of his head. The young prince shook his head in an attempt to dislodge the rotten fruit. "But then again, I'm not sure you'd like my world, seeing as how in my world, men think of others first and serving someone isn't shameful."

"That hurt," Arthur grumbled and turned his face to the side as a cabbage smashed into the stocks, sending shredded cabbage leaves upwards and into his blonde hair. _Please, if there's a higher power out there, let this be the last time that we argue. _"But I guess not as much as I hurt you."

"The trouble with you, Arthur Pendragon," Merlin began, holding another cabbage in his hand but not throwing it, "Is that you forget that helping people is who I am. Whether I'm a servant or your partner, I will always try and help people, no matter what you might think."

Arthur looked at Merlin then with more than just thoughtfulness and remorse showing in his eyes. _If only I could tell you that I would gladly die for you, Merlin, just as I know that you would gladly die for me. Well, maybe not gladly, but I know you'd understand. I might say the wrong things because I don't think things through properly or because the situation always turned out better in my head, but I only do it because I want everyone to treat you as my equal. Not because you're partnered with me, but because you're better than me._

"You stupid prat," Merlin suddenly spoke, and Arthur could see that his sparkling blue eyes were rimmed with tears. Merlin walked over to Arthur, and as he did, Arthur noticed Uther looking down on them from his window. Merlin knelt in front of Arthur, and Arthur felt his cheek being rubbed rhythmically by a slender thumb. "We've argued and bickered like a pair of old women these past three days. But now, looking at you like this, I know that we're over the worst of it. There are only happy times ahead for us. But I want you to know something, before I start crying like a girl. I love you with all my heart, and if the time ever comes where I must give my life to keep you alive, I want you to know that I have had the best time of my life being with you."

Arthur didn't know how to respond and was relieved when Merlin took control and dived in for a kiss. Arthur instinctively went to try and wrap his arms around Merlin, to pull the other man closer to him, but the blunt edges of the stocks hindered his attempts. Letting out a growl of frustration, Arthur pulled away and looked at the padlock that had mysteriously dropped onto the floor beside them. _Merlin must really have quick hands, _Arthur thought and began to straighten up. No sooner was he standing straight than Arthur felt Merlin's arms wrap around his neck and pull him in for a searing kiss. Arthur returned it eagerly and pulled Merlin's body flush against his own, their signs of arousal and need prodding each other in the thighs.

"I think I should get us upstairs," Arthur said grudgingly as he pulled his swollen lips away from Merlin's. "Because I highly doubt my father would appreciate a public display of my favourite past time."

"Then lead the way, my prince."

Arthur turned and dragged Merlin quickly up the stairs behind him. Far above them, a faint smile blossomed across Uther's face.

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**Please read and review!**

**x o x o**


	7. The Darkness Draws Near

**A/N:**

Woo! Am I getting these chapters out quickly or what!? I've got the writing bug, so it's a great time for you, the readers, and a great time for my ever fabulous beta, Cori!

Now for some serious WARNINGS before you read on, as I don't want a sudden wave of angry villagers with pitch forks and torches coming after me! Firstly, there's a lovely slash scene for you all to enjoy, and it's probably in the high T rating, so just to be doubly sure, DO NOT READ if you think you'll feel uncomfortable with it! If you DO read it, then I'm rating the bulk of this chapter as a high T/low whatever the next rating is, lol. Secondly, towards the end, there's a part which mentions character death! If you want to read, then do so, but no sending out the angry villagers to get me because I've warned you now!

Anywho, as always, please read and review and this time round, let me know what you think is going to happen or what you'd like to happen!

Enjoy!

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**THE DARKNESS DRAWS NEAR**

No sooner had they entered their chambers than Merlin had Arthur pinned to the back of the door and was staring into sea-blue eyes. His tall, slender body was pressed firmly against the slightly shorter, well-muscled body that heaved with every breath Arthur took. Merlin raised his right hand and pushed his fingers through Arthur's hair, foreheads touching as lips closed over each other. Gone was the frantic urgency behind the kiss in front of the stocks, replaced now with a sensuously slow kiss that silently promised hours of midnight pleasures. Merlin's left hand found Arthur's and their fingers twined as their tongues battled for dominance in the kiss. _I could stay like this for a long time, _Merlin thought as he ground his hips into Arthur's, which caused the young prince to moan softly. Merlin kissed his way down to Arthur's neck and quickly pulled away at the smell of the rotten fruit he had just been pelted with.

"You, strip, bath," Merlin stated and took hold of both of Arthur's hands, pulling them towards the middle of the room.

"Merlin, I'm not going to wait for a bath to be drawn before making love to you," Arthur pouted and pulled at Merlin, who willingly allowed himself to be encircled again by Arthur's arms. "I've not made love to you for two days now, and I guarantee you it won't become three days."

Merlin blushed at the mention of the two of them making love, and he turned around, pulled Arthur up behind him, and carried on walking

"I bumped into someone on the way to the stocks," Merlin explained and stopped in front of the large bathtub that had been placed in front of the roaring fire. "And they said that there would be a bath waiting for us. So, I'll say it again. You, strip, bath."

Merlin felt a small bite get placed onto his shoulder as Arthur stepped to the side, hands going up to take off his tunic. Merlin admired his lover's form in the candlelight, his own body flushing and becoming more aroused at the certainty of what they would be getting up to later on. Beside the bath, which had steam rolling across the surface, new soap and bath oils stood on a small table, along with soft cloths to use for washing. Merlin looked over at Arthur, who was now standing in full naked glory, and Merlin couldn't help but let his eyes drift down to Arthur's fully engorged member. _Oh yes, _Merlin thought as he unconsciously licked his lips, _we are definitely going to be busy tonight._

Arthur walked over to the small table and picked up a bottle, uncorked it and smelled the contents. _Lavender, _Arthur thought and turned the bottle upside down, the oily contents dripping into the hot water and filling the room with its scent. Carrying on as though Merlin wasn't there, Arthur placed his hands along the rim of the bath and stepped into it, the hot water causing him to moan in pleasure as he sank downwards. The water quickly rose up his body and as he positioned himself so that he could stretch out, Arthur looked over at Merlin as he slid down below the water's surface. He could hear muffled sounds through the water as he quickly rubbed at his hair, trying to make sure that any bits of tomato were removed from his head. Feeling his chest begin to tighten at having to hold his breath, Arthur pushed himself up quickly yet carefully, not wanting to spill any of the deliciously hot water over the edges. Letting out a quick breath, Arthur pushed his hand across his face before pushing it upwards, slicking his hair back against his head. Staring back at Merlin, he realised that the muffled sounds had actually been Merlin, who was standing by the bath edge completely naked.

"Well? Coming in?" Arthur asked huskily and quickly made room for Merlin to climb in beside him. As Merlin lowered himself into the water, it rose to just about an inch below the top rim of the bath.

As soon as Merlin was completely in, Arthur pulled his other half flush against his chest and chuckled gently as he felt Merlin squirm against his manhood. _Soon, love, soon. _For now, Arthur reached over to the small table and picked up the soap and one of the cloths, pausing momentarily when he noticed Merlin gazing at the fire, completely oblivious to Arthur. Arthur looked at Merlin and wondered what had caused this sudden quietness — just moments before Merlin had been eager, affectionate. Now... _He looks like he's got the whole world weighing down on him, _Arthur thought and placed a hand onto Merlin's shoulder, squeezing gently. Merlin smiled before covering Arthur's hand with his own. _I have to stop acting like a prat, _Arthur vowed. _Because it's obviously affecting him._ Feeling slightly better at the vow he had just made, Arthur pulled Merlin closer to him and dipped the cloth into the hot water before passing Merlin the soap.

Arthur held the cloth still as Merlin lathered it with soap, the scent of sandalwood permeating the air. With one hand around Merlin's slim waist, Arthur used his free hand to begin rubbing Merlin's chest with the cloth. He started off at the nape of Merlin's neck, slow circular movements at first, which developed into barely-there caresses. Merlin shifted, his head rolling to the side, and Arthur seized the opportunity to kiss the exposed flesh. _If Merlin's moans are anything to go by, he likes this. _Arthur scraped his teeth gently over Merlin's neck, and Merlin shivered. Whilst Arthur continued his ministrations at Merlin's neck, he held the cloth outwards for Merlin to re-lather. For the next twenty minutes or so, Arthur swapped from kissing to nipping as he washed Merlin's body from the tips of slender fingers to just below Merlin's stomach. Thinking that he had Merlin suitably distracted with his mouth, Arthur's fingers dipped downwards and wrapped themselves around Merlin's member, which swelled at Arthur's touch.

"Arthur..." Merlin whispered and tilted his head back so that it rested against Arthur's shoulder. Arthur stared down into Merlin's hooded eyes and kissed his forehead as his closed palm began to move along Merlin's length.

"Have you ever thought of what it would be like if I made love to you in the bath?" Arthur asked huskily, and Merlin's hips rocked up, causing the water to splash over the edge.

Merlin contemplated the answer to that question and was about to reply when he felt a sudden swell in his magic within his body. He closed his eyes tightly so that Arthur couldn't see the flaring gold within them as waves of magical pleasure rocked through him. Merlin felt Arthur suddenly shiver strongly at the exact same time, causing more water to slosh about in the bath. Deep breaths could be heard in the otherwise quiet room, and Merlin felt Arthur's fingers dig into his waist as another wave of magical pleasure pulsed through them. _What's happening? _Merlin thought worriedly. _I've never felt or experienced anything like this..._

"Neither have I," Arthur whispered breathlessly into Merlin's ear, and Merlin felt a damp head rest against his own. "I mean, I've never... done that twice. And with nothing more than soaping you up and having you push up against me."

Arthur chuckled gently, and Merlin was thankful that his lover thought that their simultaneous orgasms, one after the other, were a result of their close proximity. Merlin needed the Great Dragon to answer more questions about this sudden and unexpected development in his magic — now it was coming unbidden and at any time. Not that Merlin was complaining, but what if a sudden flare of magic happened in front of Uther? Shivering at the thought of the probable result, Merlin pushed the thought to the side and turned himself around so that he was kneeling in front of Arthur. Holding on to both sides of the bath, Merlin leant forward and captured Arthur's lips with his own in a heated kiss. Sliding himself up towards Arthur, Merlin slipped his legs alongside Arthur's and his buttocks pressed against Arthur's already recovering erection. Yet the sensation of having Arthur there wasn't what caught Merlin's attention. The water had shifted towards Arthur's head and rather than cascading over the edge of the bath, the water floated there as though held in by an invisible barrier. With Arthur's head slowly turning to see what Merlin was staring at, Merlin quickly reached into the water and grabbed Arthur's erection, causing the blonde to snap his head back around to Merlin.

"Make love to me, Arthur," Merlin whispered breathlessly as he trailed his spare hand down Arthur's chest, his eyes downcast and his lips curled into a coy smile.

With no further encouragement needed, Arthur made a quick grab for one of the bottles on the table, and Merlin was soon filled with Arthur. As Arthur moved deep inside of him, thoughts came unbidden to Merlin's mind about what the future held for the two of them if what the Great Dragon said came to pass. Merlin's hips slowed, and he only came out of his thoughts when Arthur moved one of his hands from Merlin's hips and cupped his chin.

"Merlin, if you don't want to carry on, it's fine," Arthur told him gently, and Merlin looked Arthur directly in the eyes."I want you to be happy, and right at this moment, you're not happy."

"I am, Arthur," Merlin instantly said, silently cursing himself for letting his thoughts interrupt this perfect moment of theirs. A quick look at the water showed that it was still held by the invisible barrier.

"Are you?" Arthur asked and pushed Merlin away marginally so that he could sit up better. They were now facing each other, and Merlin wrapped his legs around Arthur's back. "I know you're here physically, but you're not here in mind or spirit. If it's because of what I did earlier and you're doubting us... I will spend every moment of my life making it up to you, I swear. Just... don't let me make love to you if you think that's what you have to do to make me happy. I'm happy just being here with you."

Merlin looked at Arthur and a wave of love and devotion filled him until he thought he would explode. With the way that Arthur was looking at him, Merlin felt extremely guilty that he had let his worries get the better of him at a time when he should have been enjoying the moment with Arthur. With a devilish smile and a squeeze of his internal muscles that made Arthur moan, Merlin kissed his partner, biting softly at Arthur's bottom lip. _It's not you, Arthur. You could never cause me to not want you, need you. I just have so much I need to fight for... I don't know if I'm strong enough._

"Make love to me here, Arthur, in the bath and then take me to bed," Merlin whispered and looked at Arthur, all thoughts pushed to the side as he stared into blue eyes. Arthur looked as though he understood what he had just unwittingly mind-read and kissed Merlin softly on the lips. "I need you to be my knight in shining armour. Drive away these shadows in my mind. Please."

Needing no other encouragement, Arthur set to chasing the dark thoughts out of Merlin's head.

Sitting by the window in Morgana's chamber, Elizabeth watched as Uther's ward tossed and turned in her sleep. Dressed in a blood-red silk dress with golden snake embellishments, Elizabeth gently drummed her fingers against the table pushed flush against the wall as she waited for her spell to work. Her jet black hair shone in the moonlight as her dark brown eyes stared at Morgana, and her mind wandered to the plans for the future when she and her partners ruled over Camelot. _When, _Elizabeth mused as she stood up and glided over to Morgana. _Not if, but when. Only a matter of time now._ A pale hand stroked Morgana's brow, and the king's ward frowned in her sleep but did not stir, her mind too caught up in the nightmare to wake up. However, Elizabeth wasn't stupid. She knew that for her and her two partners to succeed, then the young prince, Arthur, would have to die.

Arthur Pendragon. He was the Crown Prince of Camelot and the only true opposition that stood in the way of her success. When the plan to destroy Camelot had been carefully formed, everything had been taken into account — Arthur's fighting capabilities, Arthur's ability to rally his people, Arthur's loyal knights who would lay down their lives for him — everything. However, since Elizabeth had entered Camelot, a potential obstacle to their plan had arisen. _Merlin,_ Elizabeth thought, wrinkling her nose as she sat down beside Morgana on the bed. Although they knew and fully accepted that Merlin held the potential to be stronger than the three of them put together, Elizabeth had convinced her two partners that while he was still young in age, he would pose no threat to their plan. Instead, they had all agreed to let Merlin live and watch while they killed Arthur, and then enslaved Merlin for the rest of his life. _Fitting for one such as him, _Elizabeth contemplated and unconsciously touched the snake pendant that hung from her neck_. _Yet they hadn't anticipated Arthur's romantic involvement with the young warlock. _This could prove most problematic._

As Morgana twisted suddenly in her sleep, Elizabeth refocused on the raven-haired woman. Leaning down, Elizabeth whispered in her ear and smiled as Morgana went suddenly still as the true extent of the spell took effect. Standing up and walking to the door, Elizabeth spared one more glance at Morgana and disappeared from the room while Morgana saw what had been given to her to dream...

_Morgana looked around her and couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was in the lower part of Camelot, or what remained of it. The outer boundary wall that protected Camelot lay in ruin. Bodies of archers hung over the wall, and Morgana's stomach lurched at the sight. _What happened here?_ At the bottom of the wall and sticking out from the rubble, Morgana noticed bodies lying at awkward angles and the ground around them seemed to be soaked in blood. Screams and shouts of pain rang in her ears as she continued turning, this time to see that the peasant houses had all but been obliterated. Very little remained of the wooden structures and again her stomach lurched as the smell of charred flesh filled her nostrils. The more she turned, the more death she saw and the more she wanted to wake up._

"_Merlin! No!"_

_Morgana's head whipped up as Arthur's scream of panic echoed through the destroyed streets of Camelot. Breaking into a run, Morgana held up her sea-blue dress and ran as fast as she could towards the upper part of Camelot. As she ran, her green eyes saw nothing but bodies littered here and there, and in one instance, a pile as tall as a house of men, women and children. Buildings lay in ruins and the streets ran with blood. Coming to the drawbridge that led to the castle, Morgana could hear the clash of swords against metal and men screaming and shouting before going silent. Running across what was left of the drawbridge, what Morgana saw chilled her to the core._

_There, in the middle of the courtyard, knelt Arthur, blood, dirt and tears staining his face. His chainmail had been broken in several places and one of his shoulders looked odd, as though it was only just holding on to the rest of his body. He must be wounded elsewhere, too — the ground __around Arthur was stained a dark crimson, but Morgana's heart broke as she saw what Arthur was clinging desperately to in his arms. Merlin lay deathly still with a huge burn across his chest, blood slowly ebbing out of the wound as Arthur's body shook from choked sobs. All around the two of them, the last few knights of Camelot fought to protect their king from the serpents that outnumbered them six to one. A woman walked calmly through the chaos, in a snow-white gown with not a speck of dirt on her, followed closely by two men dressed in blood-red and black clothing. They stopped in front of Arthur, who looked up as though he had just noticed them for the first time. Morgana tried to call over to Arthur, but her voice went unheard in the dream. Arthur's face took on a vision of rage and hatred as he hugged Merlin's dead body to his chest, still trying to shield his lover from the people that had killed him._

"_It is time, Arthur Pendragon," the woman spoke quietly, yet her voice echoed through the courtyard._

"_There is no one left to protect you. No one left to live for," the black-clothed men added just as quietly, and Morgana ran forward in a desperate bid to protect him._

_As Morgana watched, Arthur laid Merlin ever so gently on the ground, but not before kissing him on the lips one last time. Silence had descended over the courtyard and Morgana quickly realised that the last of the knights had fallen and all of the serpents had turned their attention to Arthur as they circled the small group. Arthur's right hand went to a sword that Morgana had never seen before, one that she knew instinctively contained magic. The blade was the brightest steel and down the centre of the blade ran magical engravings, an eerie white light coming from them. _Excalibur. _The thought came unbidden into her head and she wondered why she had suddenly thought that name up. _The sword is called Excalibur?_ Arthur flexed the sword in a wide arc, the blade shining brightly in the blood-red sky of dusk._

"_Kill him."_

_At once, the serpents all lunged straight towards Arthur..._

Waking up, Morgana screamed for all she was worth as tears ran down her face and the guards burst into her chambers.

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**Please read and review! Merci!**

**x o x o**


	8. Owen Knows

**A/N:**

Sorry for the huge delay in posting this, my Merthur loving people! I've had a huge amount of work on, and well, this got put on the back burner a lil bit! Hopefully, I'll be able to keep updating fairly regularly and I'll try and get Chapter 9 posted by the end of this week! As usual, a huge thanks to Cori for being my beta, and to you, the readers! I am absolutely giddy with happiness over your lovely reviews! So keep them coming, x x !

So anyways, here's Chapter 8, and I hope you enjoy!

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**OWEN KNOWS**

Arthur awoke to the sound of gentle snoring beside him and smiled. Last night had been one of the best nights of his life, although the first night they had slept together would always be the best. Pushing himself up on the bed gently, so as not to disturb Merlin, Arthur gazed down at the sleeping form that was practically buried under the covers. _He looks so peaceful now, _Arthur thought, and his mind drifted back to what he had seen last night. Arthur remembered the haunted look in Merlin's eyes, as though the young man knew a secret that weighed heavily on his shoulders. At the time, Arthur had thought it had been because of the way he had been acting, and that it was taking its toll on Merlin emotionally. But now... now he wasn't so sure. Last night, as they had lain there completely spent in the bed, wrapped in each other's arms, images came to Arthur so vividly that he thought he had been living it. He had seen Camelot in flames; Merlin surrounded by an electric blue aura; a funeral pyre with his father burning; Merlin in chains and sobbing in the dungeons. _Merlin would never be chained, and my father still has many years ahead of him, _Arthur contemplated quietly as he stole a quick peek under the covers. _Maybe this was a dream to get me thinking about how Merlin must be feeling right now. I mean, I saw Merlin using magic, so it had to be a dream._

Smiling at his deduction that the images were nothing more than a dream, Arthur sat quietly in the late morning light and looked up when a serving maid came into the room with a large tray of food. Curtsying, the maid swiftly placed the food on the table and disappeared just as quickly. The smell of sausage caused Arthur's stomach to rumble hungrily and as he crawled across the length of the bed to snag a sausage, he let out a sudden gasp as a cool hand snagged his ankle. Twisting around, Merlin peeped out from under the covers with a wide grin on his face. Returning the smile, Arthur turned himself around just as Merlin suddenly straddled him across his lap. Arthur couldn't help but giggle like a child as Merlin kissed his forehead, nose, cheeks and lips in quick succession.

"You're in a playful mood this morning," Arthur stated and saw Merlin smile back at him. _It's so good to see you smile, _Arthur thought. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like the dead," Merlin agreed and Arthur smirked as he added, "And that is purely because you tired me out last night, what with all the kissing and the licking and the thing you did with your mouth..."

Smiling without inhibitions, Arthur pushed Merlin suddenly back onto the bed and settled himself between Merlin's legs. Sticking his tongue out and holding Merlin's hips down with his hands, Arthur started from the edge of one hip bone and licked slowly all the way down the crease of Merlin's right thigh. He stopped momentarily to tease Merlin into a full erection before doing the same to the left thigh, slowing as he neared the hip bone. Nipping gently all the way along it, Arthur took the tip of Merlin's member into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, causing Merlin to try and thrust his hips upwards. Not wanting to tease Merlin too much because he had only just woken up, Arthur prepared himself for the enjoyable task of sending Merlin completely out of his mind with pleasure until a loud banging on his door disturbed that plan of action.

"Arthur! Merlin! Please, open the door!"

Arthur looked up at Merlin and mouthed 'Be quiet,' hoping that Morgana would go away if she thought they were asleep. Arthur listened for a minute and thinking that Morgana had gone away, settled himself down again between Merlin's legs, intent on finishing what he had started. Arthur opened his mouth wide, wrapped a hand around Merlin's member and...

"Arthur! Merlin! Please tell me you're both all right!"

This time, the choked sob that came at the end of the demand caused Arthur to peel himself completely away from Merlin. As Arthur yanked on his breeches, Merlin mirrored him, and Arthur wondered what could have possibly upset Morgana so much. Going straight to his door, Arthur had barely opened it before Morgana hurled herself at him, arms gripping his neck tightly as she hugged him to her. Arthur could do little more than hug her back, his bare chest pressed firmly against her body as she held on tightly. Merlin had just got a clean tunic on and had moved to stand beside them when Morgana threw herself onto him as well. Arthur quickly closed the door and as he did, he heard small sobs come from Morgana. _What on earth's the matter?_ Taking Morgana by the arm, Arthur led her to his bed and sat her down on it, frowning at the smooth, tucked-in blankets. _How on earth did Merlin manage to make the bed and get dressed in a matter of seconds? _Leaving that question for a later time, Arthur knelt down on the floor and looked up at Morgana who was visibly shaking. Merlin passed him a cream tunic and Arthur quickly pulled it on over his head as Merlin sat down beside her.

"Merlin, go and get Gaius," Arthur told him and as Merlin stood up, Morgana grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him back onto the bed."Morgana, you're shaking. You need to see Gaius."

"I've already seen him," Morgana managed and looked downwards, long hair falling over her shoulder to hide away her eyes, still wet with tears. She took a moment to console herself and Arthur took one of her hands. "Getting soft are you, Arthur?"

"You came to my chamber and banged on the door as though a pack of wolves were after you," Arthur stated and caught her gaze. "What's wrong?"

"If I tell you, you'll think I've gone mad," Morgana answered and looked at Merlin, her eyes beseeching him to understand. "But I know that Merlin can talk you into anything, so maybe I should tell you."

Taking a deep breath, Morgana looked at Arthur and began to speak.

"I had a nightmare last night, Arthur. I've not had one for months and I had one last night," Morgana began and Arthur noticed Merlin fidget on the bed. "I saw Camelot, or what was left of it. It had all been burnt, Arthur, and everyone was dead. The bodies were everywhere, men, women, _children_! I heard you cry out Merlin's name and I ran, ran through to the upper part of Camelot and..."

Morgana stopped and tears rimmed her eyes as she looked at both of them. She took Merlin's hand and squeezed it at the same time she squeezed Arthur's.

"There were a few knights who hadn't been killed, and they were fighting these... these snake demons... You were in the middle of the courtyard, holding Merlin and he... he was dead, Arthur." Morgana turned to look at Merlin and tears ran down her face. "You were dead, Merlin. And you, Arthur, you were beside yourself..."

Merlin's head spun around as he tried to process what Morgana had just told them. He looked over at Arthur to see a slightly sceptical look in his eyes, but Merlin felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Since finding out about Morgana's nightmares and dreams being magical premonitions of the future, Merlin knew that they always came to pass in the way she had seen them. _I'm going to die..._ Merlin tried his best to look concerned but all he wanted to do was crawl into Arthur's arms and pray that Morgana was wrong. Still in shock, Merlin looked at Morgana and tried to focus on what she was saying.

"Then there were these three people, two men and a woman... they stood in front of you, Arthur, and told you it was time for you to die," Morgana continued and she let go of Arthur's hand to wipe at her eyes. "You were so brave... you stood up, completely encircled by these snake demons and you held a sword, Excalibur, in your hands and then they all lunged for you, and I began to scream and I woke up..."

"Morgana," Arthur said gently and Merlin looked at his lover. "It was nothing but a nightmare. You probably dreamt it up after what happened last night and wanted to see me and Merlin punished, except it felt a little bit too real."

Merlin looked back at Morgana and his mind whirled with lost thoughts. _Is that why the Great Dragon didn't answer my questions? _Merlin asked and began to feel numb inside. _Did he see my death and know that I would no longer be able to keep Arthur alive?_ He needed to speak to the Great Dragon and quickly, but for now, he could try and get Morgana to give him a few answers...

"Camelot! Rally, Camelot!"

Sir Galahad's urgent shout came a second before screams reached Arthur's window. In a second, Merlin and Arthur were both at the window, looking out. . Four huge snakes, as tall as any man, were twisting and writhing in the courtyard, attacking anything that moved or breathed. Arthur dashed from the room, but Morgana grabbed Merlin's arms.

"Those are the demons that I saw, Merlin. The ones that kill both of you."

Merlin darted from the room the instant Morgana finished speaking, running down along the corridors and stairs to get to the armoury. Running through the door, Merlin was greeted by a turmoil of noise. Over in the far right corner, Merlin spied Arthur trying to get his chain mail on over his head as well as trying to fix the other pieces of armour to his body. From outside, the screams and cries of women and children filled the air, and all of the knights inside the armoury were trying to get outside as quickly as possible. Merlin pushed his way through the throng and snagged Arthur's arm, causing the blonde to look at him in confusion.

"Merlin, get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you to go out there alone! Especially when you haven't even got your armour on! Get your gauntlets on and I'll get the chain mail fixed at the back."

Within a few seconds, Merlin had helped Arthur into his armour. His heart pounded in his ears as he hurriedly picked up a sword and handed it to Arthur, who snatched it from his grasp and turned to run outside. Merlin yanked him back and crushed their lips together, the kiss desperate. And then Arthur tore himself away and disappeared outside. Merlin looked around the room frantically and saw that the only weapon left was a long spear with a large metal spike at the tip. Grabbing hold of it, Merlin darted after Arthur and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

Knights were scattered about the courtyard in small groups, each surrounding a snake demon. There were a few knights who lay sprawled on the ground, and several detached limbs were littered across the blood-stained cobbles. Serving maids tried desperately to push innocent bystanders out of the area while the knights fought. One of the snakes reared up to its full height and opened its mouth wide, sending magical flames spewing forth. Some of the knights were engulfed in flames, and they ran, screaming, before falling to the ground.

"Knights! Rally to me!"

It was Arthur, and Merlin ran towards his voice, fear overwhelming him as one of the snakes headed for Arthur. The other three snakes doubled their efforts and surrounded the knights before they could get to Arthur, leaving Arthur exposed and out in the open with the last snake slithering towards him. Merlin didn't even think as he ran straight for Arthur, spear held at the ready if he had to use it. As Merlin drew closer to his trapped lover, he screamed out when the snake lunged at Arthur, sending the blonde man sprawling backwards head first. The snake looked around briefly and their eyes locked, blue eyes seething with fear and worry and anger, flecking with gold as the orange eyes of the snake turned away. Arthur was trying to push himself up, blood running freely down his face and into his eyes, while the snake began to move towards him.

As Merlin continued to run towards Arthur, the young prince stood up with sword in hand and Merlin felt like screaming to divert the snake's attention. Arthur's chain main was completely cut through across the front, exposing a bloody gash. _No! _Merlin screamed inside as he raised the spear, ready to throw. _Arthur! Please, don't die!_ Arthur suddenly lunged at the snake and darted to the side as the demon struck, its long fangs extended. Arthur rolled away and quickly rose to his feet in an open space where he had room to run. _Run, Arthur! Don't be a hero! Run!_ The snake began to turn, although it was slow to do so because of its bulk and Arthur lunged quickly to take advantage and strike. Merlin watched in horror as the blade of Arthur's sword broke like a twig, leaving Arthur with a jagged blade that was no more than four inches long. The snake spun around and Merlin saw no wound or scratch on the snake's body and now Arthur was completely blocked from his view. Everyone around them was so busy trying to keep alive that Merlin knew there was only one thing that could be done.

Coming to a complete stop, Merlin dropped the spear onto the floor and held his right hand over it. _If no normal weapon can stop it, then I'll have to use a magical one._ Looking intently at the snake and filled with hate, anger and an overwhelming sense of fear for Arthur, Merlin began to say words in a language he had no knowledge of.

"Car'a'carn tuath'i selar'th," Merlin intoned, and the spear began to radiate an electric blue light, the air crackling around them as black rain clouds suddenly appeared over head. An intense swelling of magic filled Merlin and he swayed on his feet. Steadying himself, he finished his intonation, "Suath'ir warou't shaga'r."

The spear levitated off the ground, and as Merlin drew his hand back as if to throw it, he thrust his arm forward with as much strength as he could. The spear, now completely engulfed in an electric blue flame, sailed silently through the air and just as the snake once again moved to strike at Arthur the spear exploded through its midsection. Breaking into a shaky run, Merlin barrelled into Arthur and knocked them both to the side, just as the snake fell forward and writhed momentarily before laying deathly still. The remaining three snakes looked around at the death of their ally and suddenly disappeared in an eruption of flame and black smoke. For a second, all was still, and then the dark clouds overhead opened up, rain spilling onto Camelot and washing away the blood that stained the courtyard.

Merlin pulled Arthur up, not caring that everyone was looking at them, not caring that it was pouring rain. He kissed Arthur frantically. So many emotions flooded through Merlin, and he clung to Arthur, who clung back just as tightly. _I could have lost you,_ Merlin thought, and he pulled away to look deep into Arthur's eyes, pushing back the blonde hair as he did. A quick survey of Arthur showed a rather deep cut across his right eyebrow, but the wound on his chest that Merlin had thought was so serious was in fact little more than a nasty scratch. _I need to get you inside. I can't have you bleeding out here in the dirt. _Merlin stood up and helped Arthur up, taking the prince's weight across his shoulders. Uther had come into the courtyard followed by Morgana and as Merlin walked Arthur across the space, he felt all of the eyes from the knights fall onto them. Sir Galahad made his way through the gathering and took up Arthur's other arm, although as they neared the king, Arthur pushed himself away from the two men, only to be embraced by Uther.

"My son," Uther said and Merlin could see that from how tightly Arthur was now being held, Uther had truly feared for Arthur's life. Pulling back and looking around, Uther spoke up, "Who threw that spear and killed that demon? Who saved my son's life?"

Merlin kept quiet and looked around, thinking that some uptight knight would take the glory for himself. _Not that I mind, _Merlin thought as the silence continued, _but it'd be nice if one of the more humble knights took the credit for a change._

"My king," Sir Galahad spoke up, "I know who threw the spear."

"You do? Speak, Sir Galahad, so that I may thank him and give him whatever he desires if I can."

Merlin suddenly felt Sir Galahad's eyes fall upon him, and he fidgeted as he realised all of the other knights' eyes were upon him, too.

"It was Merlin, sire. I saw him hurl the spear at the demon that was about to kill Prince Arthur."

Arthur's head whipped around and Merlin felt heat bloom across his cheeks as Uther's gaze locked onto him as well. _Why did Galahad have to go and say that? If he saw me, then that means..._

"Is this true, Merlin?" Uther asked, and Merlin fidgeted before looking up at the king. "Did you really throw that spear and save my son?"

"I... I did," Merlin answered hesitantly and took hold of Arthur's hand as he added quietly, "I know you told me to get out, Arthur, but I couldn't leave you out there. I swore from the day I met you that wherever you went, I would follow, and I mean to keep that promise."

Uther surveyed the two and nodded his head approvingly. The other knights nodded, too, and Sir Galahad dropped to one knee. Merlin stood in amazement as all the other knights, who were injured and bleeding, all dropped to one knee with their right fist over their hearts. Arthur stood up as tall as he could then and wrapped an arm around Merlin's waist.

Owen couldn't believe what he had just seen. He had been hidden in a dark corner when the four snake demons had attacked, primarily led by Elizabeth, who no one seemed to notice. She had been dressed in a figure-hugging pink dress, a staff of what looked to be solid wood in her right hand. The wind seemed to whip up around her suddenly, and her hair flew up as she intoned something that Owen couldn't hear. The snakes bowed to her before launching their attack on the unsuspecting knights. Sir Galahad had been the first to see the demons and as he screamed for the knights to rally, Elizabeth had glided over to Owen and spoke to him.

"I have kept my promise," she had said, and Owen tore his gaze from the fighting to look at her. "Now you must keep yours."

Elizabeth had then glided off and Owen had resumed watching the fighting. He couldn't help the feeling of imminent vomiting when one of the knight's arms was thrown in his direction, landing with a sickening thud with blood and bone sticking out from the still warm limb. _Pay attention! You're supposed to be getting people to watch... Merlin!_ Owen couldn't believe what he saw when Merlin was screaming at Arthur, who was being cornered by one of the snake demons. He could see Arthur had been wounded, and that the prince was favouring his right leg, but it was Merlin who had caught his attention. Merlin was standing over a spear and was saying something. _Arthur's about to be killed, and he's speaking to a spear?_ Owen was on the verge of laughing like a boy at the thought but was flabbergasted at the sight of the spear hovering in mid-air before being launched at the snake that was just about to kill Arthur. _Merlin has magic? _Owen couldn't believe it and instantly felt a wave of dread wash over him as he realised that all of Elizabeth's planning was for nothing because he had been the only one to see it.

"Don't worry, Elizabeth. I'll still bring him to his knees."

With that, Owen stalked off to think over his next move.

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**Please read and review!**

**x o x o**


	9. Love, Magic and Snakes

**A/N:**

Really sorry this has taken so long to get this next chapter up! The last two weeks have been a nightmare - work problems, laptop going up in smoke (literally), rewriting this chapter! It's true, everything happens in threes!

Anywho, rant over! Thanks for everyone who continues to read and review this story, it really means a lot! Thanks also to Cori, who is absolutely the best beta a girl could have - not only does she check up on me to make sure I'm still in the land of the living, but she's a great help with making my ideas flow effortlessly!

So, here's Love, Magic and Snakes! I'm hoping to get chapter 10 up for the weekend as I've got a weeks holiday! Fingers crossed!

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**LOVE, MAGIC AND SNAKES**

Arthur winced painfully as he was directed up the stairs to his chambers, Merlin taking most of Arthur's weight on his slender frame. As Arthur stepped upwards, still in shock, his left hand pressed against the cold stone walls for extra support. Just moments after Morgana had told him about snake demons, Arthur's knights were under attack from snake demons. _Coincidence, _Arthur thought as he paused at the top of the stairs. _There's absolutely no way that those could have been the same things that Morgana dreamt about. _He could see Sir Galahad was already at his chambers with a large basket full of things that Merlin had asked the knight to get after Arthur had refused flat out to let Gaius tend to him when there were other people who would need the old physician more. Managing a small smile for his favourite knight, Arthur pushed himself away from Merlin and tried to walk on his own to his chambers. Merlin hovered by Arthur's side with a hand on the small of Arthur's back, gently guiding the injured prince.

"Did you get everything?" Merlin asked, and Arthur took the opportunity to open the large doors himself, mostly because they stopped him from falling face first onto the floor.

"Yes, Merlin. Everything you instructed me to get is in here, including the herbs and bandages. I've had a maid put a large bowl of water in your chambers, as well as a large cauldron with boiling water for the herb teas you want to make," Galahad answered, and Arthur could feel the pair of them watching him closely.

Murmuring his thanks to Sir Galahad, Arthur pushed the doors open and semi-stumbled into his room. He heard the door quickly shut behind him, and Merlin rushed ahead of him to place the basket onto the table, where the food from earlier still lay untouched. _The maid could have taken the food away, _Arthur silently grouched and felt Merlin push him towards the bed. Sitting gingerly on the bed, Arthur watched as Merlin made sure he wasn't going to pass out before going to the basket and taking things out. From the little that Arthur knew about plants and herbs, he suspected there were ones for pain relief and swelling reduction, for infection fighting and for strength. _I just hope Merlin knows how to mix them properly, _Arthur joked and saw Merlin narrow his eyes at him. _You know, it's like he can tell what I'm thinking, even when I'm not saying anything. _Merlin returned to pulling things out of the basket before he busied himself with the cauldron of hot water. Arthur watched with mild curiosity as Merlin dropped some plants into the water and stirred, before coming back to take a knife from the table.

"What do you think you're going to be doing with that?" Arthur asked, and Merlin stood in front of him, face etched with worry yet highlighted with the merest traces of relief.

"I'm not going to have you stretch your arms up over your head so we can get this chainmail and tunic off," Merlin stated simply and climbed onto the bed behind Arthur. Arthur heard the fastenings for the chainmail being undone and soon the weight of the armour was eased off from his shoulders. "Does that feel better?"

"I guess," Arthur answered and looked downwards at his hands, unsure of how to cope with all the feelings threatening to overwhelm him. He felt the tunic fall from his shoulders and Merlin got off of the bed and knelt down in front of him. "What?"

"Talk to me, Arthur," Merlin answered, and Arthur looked away, jaw set in the stubborn way that usually indicated that he wasn't going to play nicely. Merlin sighed, got up and looked at him. "I can't make you talk to me, but what happened just now? If you don't talk about it, it'll eat you up, you know?"

_You idiot! You don't tell him that! You don't just demand that he talks to you!_ Merlin lifted Arthur's legs up and pulled at the soft leather boots gently, having noticed Arthur favouring his right leg all the way up to their chambers. He could see the left ankle was swollen , and after some gentle prodding and moving, Merlin was happy to find it wasn't broken. _Just a nasty sprain._ Merlin set to work trying to pull Arthur's breeches down. Arthur wasn't being a big help, and Merlin could see that he was lost in thought. _If only I knew what you were thinking, Arthur._ Placing his hands around Arthur's hips, Merlin battled to get the breeches down and after a few minutes of struggling, managed to get the breeches off, exposing hidden scratches, grazes and bruises on Arthur's legs. Anger flared up in Merlin at the knowledge that Arthur had received those from the way in which the snake demon had tossed him backwards like a rag doll. _But at least you know they're extremely strong, _Merlin's rational side that thought didn't bring much comfort for Merlin as he looked down at Arthur in his undergarments.

Going to the table, Merlin gathered some of the herbs and put them into the stone mortar before adding some of the hot water. Picking up the pestle, Merlin began to crush the herbs together, eyes watching Arthur as he did so. The smell of the fragrant herbs seemed to stir Arthur, because the young prince lifted his head and looked at Merlin, who smiled back gently. Arthur laid his head back down, and Merlin transferred the mortar contents into a large bowl before repeating the process several more times. _Need to make sure I have enough, _Merlin thought, and he picked up the bowl of water along with the cloths and moved to Arthur's side. Resting the bowl in the centre of the bed as gently as he could, Merlin went back to the table and retrieved the crushed herbs. Easing himself onto the middle of the bed, Merlin took one of the cloths and dunked it into the water.

"You know, I've never known you to be this quiet," Merlin joked and dabbed at the congealing blood on Arthur's chest, grimacing at the thought of how much it must be hurting Arthur.

Not wanting to press the issue, Merlin slowly wiped away the blood to expose the gash. Without the blood or clothing around it, Merlin breathed a sigh of relief as he realised it wasn't as bad as what he had first thought. It was actually a long scratch and looked about a quarter of an inch thick at its deepest, spanning from the outer edge of Arthur's right collar bone all the way diagonally across his chest, ending at the top of his left hip bone. _You were lucky,_ Merlin thought and instantly tried to think of something else, not wanting to face the alternative. Rinsing the cloth, Merlin carried on cleaning away the blood as best he could in the deafening silence that filled the room. _Why won't you talk to me, Arthur? Why won't you let me in?_ Picking up the bowl of crushed herbs, Merlin warned him of possible pain and began to apply the herbs thickly, making sure that the immediate area around the scratch was covered too. Merlin could see Arthur's jaw lock, and it was evident the blonde was in a bit of pain, but the herbs needed to be applied.

As the poultice slid against Arthur's skin, Merlin began to speak of anything that might distract Arthur from the pain. He spoke of other servants, of the other knights, even of Ealdor and the new friendships they had forged there. Yet there Arthur lay, quiet and still, his eyes looking at the far wall blankly. _I should have done something sooner, _Merlin quietly thought. _If I had, maybe you wouldn't have been this badly hurt. I'll make it up to you, Arthur, I promise. _With Arthur lost in his own thoughts, and Merlin quietly berating himself, both were completely oblivious to what was happening. Merlin's hand glowed with a warm light, and the poultice that he had in his hand took on the same glow. As Merlin spread the poultice across more of the wound, the glow transferred itself to Arthur and seemed to sink beneath his skin. Arthur breathed deeply every time the poultice was applied and as Merlin gazed at the prince, he saw blue eyes looking at him.

"What is it?" Merlin asked, hands reaching for the clean strips of material as he helped Arthur into a sitting position.

Arthur felt nimble hands deftly pulling the material around his chest and wondered how he would say what was on his mind. He looked down at his hands, which bore a few scratches and slight bruising around the knuckles. In the silence of his room, Arthur began to talk.

"I could have died, Merlin," Arthur began, and he set his jaw stubbornly, in an attempt to keep his emotions in check. Arthur felt Merlin momentarily slow in securing the bandages before he resumed speaking. "I know that I've faced death before, countless times, head on, but this time... this time it was different, like it was highly probable that I was due to die today."

Arthur paused for a moment and turned his head to the side, his gaze taking in Merlin who was apparently focused on securing the bandages. Turning his head away, Arthur continued.

"I've never felt so scared, Merlin, so out of my depth. I was staring death in the face and all I could do was stand stock still and wait for it to happen. So many things flashed through my mind, but the one that made me feel desperately sick was the thought that I wasn't going to see you again, be with you."

Again, Arthur paused and inhaled deeply, before letting his breath out slowly. _What else could I tell him, to let him know how I feel?_ A slight frown creased across Arthur's brow as slender arms encircled his waist, and Merlin's legs wrapped around him, almost as though Merlin knew exactly what he needed. Warm lips pressed a kiss onto the base of his neck, and Arthur placed his own hands over Merlin's. _How is it that you always seem to know what to do, what I need?_

"When that—that snake reared up to kill me, I knew it was all over, but then the spear erupted through the creature's body. I never felt so relieved, Merlin, that I was going to live another day. Then to find out that it was you who hurled that spear... I don't know how to describe how I felt, but I was so glad it was you."

Another kiss was placed onto his neck, and Arthur smiled, a small smile that began to chase away the dark thoughts that had filled his head only seconds before.

"What will you ask for, Merlin?" Arthur asked and glanced out of his window to see the beginnings of a setting sun. _Has it really been that long since the fight?_

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. I've been preoccupied with a prince who likes trying to get himself killed."

Arthur gave a small laugh and looked at Merlin with a turn of his head, noses rubbing together gently. With a squeeze of his hands, Arthur pulled Merlin's hands away from his waist and began to stand up, which proved difficult as Merlin kept his legs firmly around his waist. Pinching the soft skin on Merlin's big toe, Arthur quickly stepped to the side and walked to the window. He could hear Merlin muttering under his breath, and Arthur thought he heard the words 'idiot' and 'prat' mixed in with other, more colourful language. Arthur smiled, but then he reached the window, and his smile disappeared.

The bodies of the knights that had fallen hours earlier were only now being placed onto wooden carts, the horses whinnying and moving about nervously. Blood stained the ground, and everyone tried their best to avoid stepping in it, yet Arthur wondered what good avoiding the now congealing blood would do. He could see Uther standing in the middle of the courtyard, apparently oblivious to what was going on around him as he spoke with Sir Galahad. Yet Arthur's eyes were constantly being drawn to the knights that had now filled one cart, their red capes soaked in their blood and their bodies with parts missing. _That could have been me,_ Arthur found himself thinking. _If Merlin hadn't thrown that spear, that would have been me._ As the cart began to rumble off towards the lower part of Camelot and another took its place for the rest of the fallen knights, Arthur felt Merlin stand beside him, watching things below.

"I'll need to speak to father," Arthur stated and observed Sir Galahad bowing to Uther and walking off towards the lower part of Camelot, following the cart. Arthur sighed gently and added, "How am I supposed to tell him that I have no idea as to why we were attacked without warning, or for what cause my knights gave their lives?"

"Maybe you should just tell him the truth," Merlin answered, and Arthur felt his arm get rubbed briefly. "That you have no answer to either of those questions."

Arthur thought about that for a moment, weighing up the possible outcomes in his mind. Turning away from the window, Arthur looked at Merlin, who stared right back.

"I know the answer to one question, at least," Arthur replied and at Merlin's puzzled look, Arthur elaborated. "The only way that Camelot could have been suddenly attacked is by magic. Don't look at me like that, Merlin, how else could it have happened? If they had used the secret tunnels under Camelot, they would have ended up in the dungeon area. If they had come through the main road, our archers would have seen them and would have sounded the alarm. If, and this is a big if, they managed to get through the gates, the peasants would have alerted us by screaming and fleeing. It had to have been magic."

"Only the evil kind," Merlin quickly added, and Arthur raised an eyebrow at the statement. He watched Merlin fidget, which usually meant that the young man knew more than he was letting on.

"What aren't you telling me, Merlin?" Arthur asked, and Merlin's head whipped around to look at the prince. "And don't tell me nothing, because I know when you're not telling me something."

Merlin looked at Arthur, and for a moment, he wished he could be inside Merlin's head to see what the other man was thinking. Merlin nibbled his lower lip, and Arthur wondered why the other man was so hesitant in answering him.

"I think it was black magic, Arthur..."

_Morgana lay quietly in her chambers, cheeks tear stained and eyes reddened from crying. The demons she had seen attacking the knights and Arthur were the same as those in her dream and the implications of this scared her deeply. Uther had sent her to her chambers as soon as the fighting was done and no one had disturbed her since, not even Gwen. A wash bowl with now cold water was on the long table in her room, along with a platter of bread, cheese and fruit. Lying atop her bed sheets, Morgana looked up at the ceiling and prayed that she wouldn't fall asleep tonight, or any other night, for fear of what else she might see._

"_You shouldn't be afraid, Morgana." A female voice suddenly spok,e and Morgana sat straight up on the bed, her head whipping to the window where a lady stood, gazing out across the courtyard._

"_Who are you, and how did you get into my room?" Morgana asked icily and eyed the large wooden doors which were closed. Edging slowly off the bed, Morgana kept her eyes on the woman._

"_I wouldn't run to the door, if I were you," the woman spoke, and she turned to face Morgana with a small smile on her ruby red lips. A snake was wrapped around her neck and a graceful hand held the creature's head up, forked tongue flicking out to taste the air. "You see, I could kill you before you made it to the door, and well, I don't like making messes unless I'm prepared to clean up afterwards. So I suggest that you stay in your bed."_

_Morgana looked over at the woman and took in her appearance. Black hair cascaded down the right side of her head and fine chains of silver intermingled with the waves and curls. Her lips were now turned up into a smile as she walked towards Morgana in an almost see-through robe that caused Morgana to blush. _I've never seen anything like it,_ Morgana thought, and she couldn't help but admire the curves and gentle structure of the woman's body as she moved. The woman came to stand in front of Morgana, the snake in her hand hissing._

"_My name is Elizabeth, and how I came to be in your room is irrelevant," Elizabeth answered and motioned for Morgana to sit down. Morgana eyed the woman and slowly sat down on top of her bed. "That's much better, don't you agree?"_

"_I wouldn't agree with anything that you say," Morgana spat back, and she felt anger swell up inside her. _How dare she come into my chambers and order me around like a servant!_ "What do you want?"_

"_Want," Elizabeth spoke slowly, as though savouring the word that fell from her lips. Lifting the snake off her neck, Elizabeth placed the creature onto Morgana's bed and watched as it slowly slithered to the other side. "I want you to deliver a message to Merlin. Tell him that times are changing. Tell him that not even he, with all of the gifts that he has, will be a match for what is to come. Tell him that no matter how hard he fights to protect King Arthur, the King will fall and so will Camelot, and then the world."_

"_Prince," Morgana corrected, and Elizabeth arched a perfect eyebrow at the statement. "It is Prince Arthur, not King. Uther is King. And you spoke of 'we'. There's more than one of you?"_

_Elizabeth laughed gently and took hold of Morgana's jaw with her hand. Morgana squirmed, trying to shake off the grip, but Elizabeth's fingers held firm. The woman stared into Morgana's eyes, and Morgana felt a tingly sensation spreading through her body._

"_I think I will make you my slave, Morgana. An attitude of your calibre needs to be tempered, and I will see to it that you become one of the first to serve me. You will deliver these messages to Merlin, and you will see to it that he understands the severity of the situation. Time draws short and I have more pressing things to attend to."_

Morgana woke to a fully darkened room and as she sat up on her bed, a hissing noise filled her ears. As she turned to look for the noise, a snake, the same as in her dreams, stared up at her from where it lay curled on the bed. Morgana let out a scream and the snake lunged forwards.

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**Please read, review and comment!**

**x o x o**


	10. Lying Because I Need To

**A/N:**

Hey everyone! Here's Chapter 10 to The Climb! Gave it to Cori yesterday to beta and the little star that she is sent it straight back to me, so I'm posting it up now! Thanks to everyone who's been reading, reviewing and commenting on the story so far! I've got a whole load of secrets left for all of you to enjoy, so I'm challenging you to guess what's going to happen!

Anywho, read, review and comment!

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**LYING BECAUSE I NEED TO**

Leaning against one of the large marble columns, Merlin watched the few occupants that filled the vast space of the great hall. Uther stood at the head of the table with maps of Camelot sprawled in front of him. A look of grave concern flicked across the aged face as he stared down at the drawings. _He's obviously thinking what Arthur was thinking earlier,_ Merlin thought and watched quietly as Sir Galahad, who stood beside the king with a bandaged arm, pointed to something of interest on the parchment. Occasionally, Sir Galahad looked up at Merlin, and Merlin had to wonder if Sir Galahad had seen him use magic. _If he did see me, he hasn't let on that he did._ Merlin knew that Sir Galahad was a good man, a man of honour, a man who believed in the vows that he made when Uther had made him a knight. Yet deep down, Merlin seemed to know that Sir Galahad would never tell anyone of his magical abilities, not even Arthur whom Sir Galahad cared for deeply.

Thinking of Arthur, Merlin glanced at the other end of the table, where Gaius was seeing to Arthur's wounds. The old physician looked tired and haggard, as though all of the injuries he had tended to that day had sapped his strength. Arthur was trying to get him to sit down, but Gaius was having none of it and instead continued with his examination of the prince. Stepping away from the column, Merlin walked over to where Arthur sat on the edge of his seat, looking like he was getting ready to bolt at the first available opportunity. Placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder and squeezing, Merlin felt the young man relax under his grasp. Gaius looked up at his apprentice.

"How is he, Gaius?" Merlin asked, and the old physician looked down at the crown prince and then back up at Merlin.

"He's doing extremely well," Gaius answered and straightened his back, a low moan of pain escaping paper thin lips. "Much better than I, in fact. From what I had been told, I was expecting a rather nasty chest injury, but all I can see is a faint red mark. It appears that you've improved in the art of healing, Merlin."

Merlin frowned. Gaius seemed to have a knowing look in his eyes, the same look that he got every time he suspected Merlin of using magic. _But I didn't use magic,_ Merlin thought defensively. Smiling and saying his thanks to Gaius, Arthur stood up and walked towards Sir Galahad and Uther, still favouring his right leg.

Merlin stepped in closer to Gaius and whispered in a hushed tone. "I didn't use magic to heal Arthur, Gaius." Gaius looked from Arthur to Merlin, Merlin to Arthur. "I swear, I didn't. I made up the poultice like you've told me to do thousands of times and then I applied it to the wound. It was a real gash, Gaius, deep in some places and shallow in others. There's no way I would have muddled up a wound and just a red mark."

"I know, Merlin, but what other possible explanation is there?" Gaius asked and pointed to Arthur. "He looks extremely well rested, as though he hadn't been involved in the commotion earlier. Come to my chambers later, and we'll talk more then. I'm going to go brew up some herbal tea and eat something before you need to be tending to me."

Smiling gently at Merlin, Gaius turned and walked out of the great hall. Merlin went to the head of the table, where Uther was now listening to Arthur intently. As he stopped beside Sir Galahad, Merlin caught the rest of the conversation.

"...which is why magic had to have been used," Arthur finished, and Merlin's eyes flicked over to gauge Uther's reaction. The king's face remained completely blank, keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself for the time being. Arthur turned towards Merlin and gestured. "Merlin seems to believe that it is the work of black magic, father, and that only strong practitioners would be able to control those demons that attacked our city."

_Thanks for that, Arthur,_ Merlin mentally griped, and it took all of his strength to stop from shrinking beneath Uther's gaze, which now took on a look that he only ever used for judging people. Swallowing quickly, Merlin spoke.

"I know you believe all magic is bad, sire, but what happened today... it could only have been done by someone strongly linked to the black arts, which I've heard is the truly evil form of magic," Merlin clarified, and Uther tilted his head to the side, weighing Merlin's words.

"You believe that magic can be good, Merlin?" Uther asked, and the eyes of Arthur and Sir Galahad turned and focused on him. Merlin forced down a feeling of panic.

"I believe... I believe that if magic was used by someone with a good heart, then the magic itself would be good," Merlin answered carefully. "Just like if a vile person with only hatred and anger used magic, then the magic itself would be evil."

Merlin watched as Uther pressed his fingertips together and rested them under his chin in a contemplative way. Arthur continued to look at Merlin as Sir Galahad returned his attention to the drawings. Merlin gave his lover a small smile.

Uther was about to speak when the great hall doors opened. Everyone turned, and Merlin's blood ran cold as Owen walked in, flanked by two guards. Arthur limped around to stand by Merlin's side, back straight, full weight on his sprained ankle. With the scraping sound of a wooden chair on the stone floor, Uther stood up, walked around to the approaching party and stood with his back straight. _Like father like son,_ Merlin thought. Sir Galahad stood beside his king, hand placed gently on the hilt of his sword.

"What is the meaning of this?" Uther asked as Owen stopped a few feet from them, the guards' faces blank and expressionless. The guard to the right of Owen answered.

"Owen claims that he has important information that you should hear, sire."

Merlin watched as Uther took a step towards Owen, the flame-haired giant wearing a mask of assurance and apprehension, all mixed together. _Something's wrong,_ Merlin thought as his body went icy cold, almost as though it was filling up with foreboding.

"Sir Galahad had informed me that you will be leaving Camelot. I pray that what you have to tell me is truly important, else I will personally make sure you leave Camelot within the hour," Uther said grimly.

Owen turned and raised a hand, extended a finger and pointed it at Merlin as he smiled smugly.

"I am here to inform you, great King of Camelot, that your son is not only sharing his bed with a whore, but a powerful warlock as well."

Before Arthur knew what he was doing, he was around the table and laying into Owen. Distantly, Arthur felt the pain of his sprained ankle, but then he got Owen in a headlock and started punching. Arthur felt arms wrap around his waist, thicker than Merlin's slender arms, and they began to tug him away from Owen. Not wanting to let go of the man who had called his partner a whore, Arthur slammed his fist once more into Owen's face, feeling a rush of vindictive pleasure at the sound of bone cracking. With an almighty tug, Arthur was yanked from Owen. Blood poured from the large man's nose as the two guards grabbed hold of Owen's arms. Owen was holding his nose and trying to move forward towards Arthur, eyes ablaze with rage and anger as the two guards struggled to restrain him. Then Owen went very still as the cool blade of Uther's sword rested across his neck. Arthur chuckled, which earned him a heated look from the king.

"I suggest you do not test my patience, Arthur. Your behaviour was unacceptable," Uther ground out and turned his head to look at Owen. Arthur felt a slender finger jab him hard in the arm and when he turned to see Merlin, Arthur had the decency to look sheepish. Uther continued, "You make grave accusations, Owen. What proof do you have?"

"With regards to Merlin being a whore that stains your son's honour," Owen began, and Arthur stepped forward instantly, only to feel a slender hand yank him back. "You will need to take my word for it, sire. I have had the misfortune of sampling the delights that Merlin has unashamedly offered. I know only too well how sweet words falling from those lips entice even the most honourable of men into bed with him."

Every fibre of Arthur's being wanted to be left alone in a room with Owen, just so that Owen could learn a few lessons about how to be a man of honour. _How dare he speak of Merlin in this way! I swear I'll kill him if I get my hands on him again._ Arthur watched Uther look from Owen to Merlin and then back again, sword still steady against Owen's neck.

"I do believe you're lying to me," Uther spoke quietly and smiled — a smile that was reserved for people who had crossed him. "For your lies, I will see to it that you receive one-hundred lashes."

"I am not lying!" Owen cried out, and the blade of Uther's sword nicked him, causing a rivulet of blood to leak down his neck. He glared at Arthur and Arthur glared right back. "Merlin is a warlock! I saw him use magic with my own eyes, I swear it!"

"More lies," Arthur spat out, and he could feel Merlin's slender hand trembling in his. Arthur squeezed back and looked at Uther. "What proof could he have, father, when Merlin has not left my side?"

Uther lowered his sword slowly from Owen's neck and placed it back into its scabbard.

"Speak quickly of what you saw."

Merlin's blood ran cold as he heard the words fall from Uther's lips. He felt his whole body trembling and when Arthur looked at him, Merlin tried to muster a confident smile. Owen now had centre stage and if he gave a convincing argument, Merlin knew it could spell the end of his life.

"This afternoon, when Merlin threw the spear that saved the prince's life... it glowed with a blue light, hovered in the air and then shot forward to kill the demon," Owen answered, and Uther looked over at Merlin. Merlin could hear his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Arthur snorted and Sir Galahad moved to step forward as Owen added, "That was what Sir Galahad saw too."

"Is this true, Galahad?" Uther's tone of voice gave Merlin the shivers, and he looked at Sir Galahad, the truest and most honest of knights. Sir Galahad didn't look at Merlin as he answered his king.

"No, sire. It's not true," Sir Galahad said firmly.

"Liar!" Owen immediately exclaimed. "You lie to protect the man that everyone knows you wish was in your bed!"

_Sir Galahad wants me in his bed? _Merlin could see the colour flush the knight's cheeks and knew it was true. _So he protects me out of love?_

"I do not lie," Sir Galahad countered and knelt down in front of Uther, took the king's hand and kissed the rings on the old fingers. "My king, I have served you well over the years, and I will continue to do so. I have never lied to you, only reporting to you what I know to be the truth. Merlin is no warlock, sire. I swear it."

Uther listened quietly, and Merlin prayed to every deity that he knew of that this would be enough to quell the accusations. _They're not accusations, though, _Merlin admitted to himself. _More like truthful statements that could kill me._

"If it wasn't magic, oh noble knight, then how do you explain Merlin throwing the spear?" Owen demanded. "He is at least half the weight of the prince, and the spears that Camelot makes are heavy. The prince himself can throw the spear a modest twenty feet, so how do you expect someone like Merlin to throw the same spear more than thirty feet?"

Merlin's blood ran colder still at the statement, because what Owen had said was logical and extremely plausible. Uther turned to study him, Sir Galahad rose from the floor, and Arthur looked at him, eyes full of questions.

"I am no warlock, sire. You must believe me," Merlin pleaded and looked deeply into Arthur's eyes before looking back at the others. "Arthur has made it his personal mission to make sure that I can handle the weapons that Camelot makes, so that if anything was to happen that could threaten his life, I would be able to handle myself. He's told me that even an idiot needs to know how to throw the spear and how to use the sword."

"It's true, father," Arthur agreed and looked at Uther. "Ask any of the remaining knights, and they will tell you that for some time I've been giving Merlin lessons in fighting. You have said that I need to be well protected, and well, Merlin can only be used as a human shield for so long."

"But how many times has Merlin saved your son's life, sire, by miraculously being in the right place at the right time?" Everyone's attention returned to Owen, who was now trying everything to get Uther to believe him. "Once is a miracle, twice is questionable, but all of the other times? Surely you can see that this is cause for concern."

Arthur turned to look at Merlin, and Merlin could see and feel Arthur unknowingly probing his sub-conscious, trying to ferret out the truth. Merlin wished that he could tell Arthur everything so that there were no more secrets between them. Merlin wished that they were living in Ealdor with his mother, William and Galwaine, all happy with the simple way of life. Most of all, Merlin wished that he had never gotten involved with Owen, because now things were unravelling too quickly.

"Arthur, I love you," Merlin whispered and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. Merlin prayed that Arthur mistook this for something other than fear at almost being discovered.

"Look into my eyes, Merlin, and promise me that Owen is lying. That nothing he's accusing you of is true," Arthur spoke loud enough so that everyone could hear, yet gently enough to cause Merlin's heart to drop at what he knew he needed to do. Uther moved over to watch the exchange.

"I swear, Arthur. Everything that Owen's accused me of is nothing but lies," Merlin answered, voice and eyes unwavering as he felt his heart break at having to lie to his lover.

Uther turned around slowly and looked at Owen, who suddenly began to look very pale and unnerved. Merlin took in a deep breath as he watched the king backhand Owen across the face.

"I want him taken out of Camelot and disposed of," Uther stated and glanced at Sir Galahad, who nodded in understanding. As the guards and Sir Galahad pushed Owen towards the doors, Merlin suddenly spoke up.

"Sire. You said that you would grant me one request for anything that I want," Merlin began and looked at Owen who turned around. _I might have lied to keep myself alive, but I won't let him die for speaking the truth._ "I ask that instead of disposing of Owen, you have him sent to a kingdom in the north. There's been too much blood spilt today, and it doesn't need to be added to."

Merlin waited as Uther appeared to carefully consider his request, Arthur by his side leaning on his right leg. _He's damaged that left ankle more,_ Merlin mentally grouched and wished Arthur hadn't leapt to fight Owen. _Even if his heart was in the right place._ Refocusing himself, Merlin let out a small sigh of relief as Uther nodded and Sir Galahad resumed pushing Owen out from the great hall. Uther announced that he was going to retire for the night, yet there was a change in the way he looked at Merlin. _He suspects,_ Merlin realised with cold dread as the king left the hall. _Owen's planted the seeds of doubt and now Uther suspects. _

The doors had barely closed behind Uther when they were pushed open again, and Morgana rushed in.

"Morgana? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be resting," Arthur said as he slumped down into one of the chairs at the table, finally giving in to the pain of his sprained ankle. Merlin sat down in a chair beside him and Arthur gave him a gentle smile, hand reaching over to take a slender one.

"I was, until I had another dream," Morgana answered and the two men at up straighter in their chairs. Morgana stood in front of them, pacing up and down, only stopping when Arthur noticed that her right hand was bandaged up. "It's nothing, Arthur. Just a snake bite."

"Snake bite?" Arthur asked, concern lacing his voice as he looked at Merlin, who looked equally concerned. "How did you get a snake bite?"

"Elizabeth left a snake in my room in the dream and then when I woke up, the same snake was there and lunged at me," Morgana explained, and Merlin leaned forward in interest, while Arthur looked confused. "I think she was the one who released the snakes that attacked us today. She's evil, Arthur, like nothing I've ever known. She said that I had to deliver a message to Merlin..."

At the mention of this woman apparently knowing Merlin, Arthur looked at his lover sharply, eyebrows knitted in deep concern. Merlin squeezed his hand, and Morgana waited for a moment before continuing.

"She said that I was to tell Merlin that times are changing and that not even what gifts she seems to think Merlin has will stop it. She... she said that no matter how much Merlin will fight to protect King Arthur, you will fall and so will Camelot."

"She must have meant prince," Arthur instantly corrected, and Morgana nodded her agreement. When Arthur turned to look at Merlin, he saw that the raven haired man looked more than just concerned. _He looks afraid, _Arthur noted as Merlin stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I told Gaius that I would check on him," Merlin answered and quickly walked towards the door before turning back. "He's looked after everyone else today, I need to make sure he's all right."

With that, Arthur watched Merlin all but run from the hall, leaving him and Morgana alone.

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**Please read, review and predict what's going to happen!**

**x o x o **


	11. Time Is Running Out

**A/N:**

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long before I've been able to write this up! I've been at work, beta'ing a story, and I'm in the process of applying to do a PGCE degree, so unfortunately, this has been on the back burner! Anywho, a huge thanks to Cori who puts up with me and my busy schedule! A huge thanks to you, the readers as well, who not only read this, but review it too!

So, here's the chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!

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**TIME IS RUNNING OUT**

As Merlin walked hurriedly towards Gaius's chambers, his slender frame trembled in fear and shock at what he had just done. _I can't believe I've just lied to Arthur, _Merlin fretted and his blue eyes darted back and forth, _What have I done?_ Merlin had been cornered by Owen, accused of being a warlock –_ which I am – _and to stop himself from losing Arthur, he had lied. _Not just any lie,_ Merlin corrected as he walked down the main staircase. _A lie that'll destroy him if he ever found out the truth._ A cold shiver crawled up Merlin's spine, and he shuddered, rubbed his arms and took a deep breath as he stepped into the courtyard. Many servants were still cleaning up after the earlier fight, the ground mostly clear of all debris except for the odd weapon that lay unclaimed. Most of the blood that had stained the ground was gone, washed and scrubbed away by the maids who had one corner left to clean. Their clothes were stained with the dirt, blood and sweat that Merlin saw drip from their brows as he passed them. Quickly ducking in to the passageway that led to Gaius's chambers, Merlin slowed to a complete stop.

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and the air around him grew deathly cold. Exhaling, Merlin saw his breath rise in heated plumes from his lips. _Something's not right,_ Merlin immediately realised and turned around slowly, his magic bubbling right at the surface in case he needed to use it. One by one, the torches that lit the passageway blew out as a gust of icy wind whirled by until only the last two in front of Merlin remained lit. From the depths of the darkness, the gentle chinking of metal could be heard, and Merlin strained his eyes to see what was coming. A soft laugh filled the air, and Merlin spun around, eyes flaring with gold as a spell of protection enveloped him.

"Come now, little warlock, there's no need for that." The woman smiled sweetly and reached out to touch his cheek. Merlin saw the silver snake pendant hanging from her neck and took a step back, avoiding her touch.

"Elizabeth," Merlin stated, and the woman smiled, nodding, her black hair falling forward to cover the front of her snow white dress. Brown eyes gazed back at Merlin as he tried to figure out what he could do to get her away from Gaius. "What do you want?"

Another soft laugh escaped red stained lips as Elizabeth pushed her hair back behind her head. "Want, Merlin? I want Arthur dead so that my brothers and I can rule the world."

"I'll never let you..."

Before Merlin could finish his sentence, he found himself buckling to his knees and moaning in pain as searing heat blossomed through his body. Elizabeth stood still and smiled down at him, her hand caressing his cheek. Where her fingers grazed his skin, Merlin could feel his magic being drawn to Elizabeth, as though it were attracted to the magic rushing through her body. The pain subsided slowly, and Elizabeth knelt on the floor, her eyes level with Merlin's as she took his hand and lifted it to her chest. Spreading his fingers, Elizabeth placed his hand across her heart and moaned pleasurably as their magic channelled together at that point. Merlin felt violently sick as black magic weaved its way through his body while he tried desperately to pull away from her grasp. _Why can't I get away?_ Merlin panicked and as quickly as this connection had been made between himself and Elizabeth, it was gone again. She smiled at him and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kill her.

"Don't look at me like that, little warlock," Elizabeth chided and stood up, her white dress still pristine even though she had been kneeling on the dirty floor. "That is just a tiny fraction of the abilities that I have. As you can see, you are no match for me. Which is why I offer you a deal. Make no mistake, Arthur will die, but how painful that death is depends on you. Join me and my brothers before the battles begin, and I promise you that Arthur will die a quick, merciful death."

"And if I refuse?" Merlin asked as he stared up defiantly at her.

"Then Arthur will end his life in excruciating pain. I will personally take great pleasure in torturing him slowly," Elizabeth answered simply. Merlin looked at her in disbelief, the feeling of being trapped washing over him for the second time in a very short period. Elizabeth continued, "I can feel great power in you, Merlin. Why throw it away for a man who doesn't even know the true you? Think about my offer for a few days."

With that, Elizabeth turned away and walked back into the darkness, leaving Merlin kneeling on the floor staring after her. The instant the torches began to reignite was the moment that Merlin felt the spell from Elizabeth lift, and he got rose shakily to his feet. Resting his left hand on the cool stone wall beside him, Merlin stumbled the short distance to Gaius's chambers, watching for any sign that Elizabeth still lurked in the shadows. Thankfully, the wooden door was thankfully, and as Merlin walked in, he was surprised to see Jack sitting at the table opposite Gaius, a small box on the table between them. Jack smiled brightly at him and snagged the small box, putting it into his breeches' pocket. As Jack exited the room, he squeezed Merlin's shoulder and gave a wink before leaving.

"What was Jack doing here?" Merlin asked and managed to make it to the table without falling, his limbs still shaky with fear and panic. . Gaius poured a small goblet of wine and handed it to Merlin, who quickly drank it down.

"He was just telling me some important information," Gaius answered and poured another goblet of wine for Merlin, who again downed it in one. "Merlin? Why are you drinking as though you've been starved of any liquid?"

Merlin took a deep breath and looked at his mentor. "I did something terrible, Gaius." At the raised eyebrow from the aged physician, Merlin clarified. "Owen knows I have magical abilities, Gaius. He came into the Great Hall and accused me in front of Uther, Sir Galahad and Arthur of using magic to save Arthur's life. I... I told Arthur that Owen was lying and that I didn't have magic. I promised him that it was true, Gaius!"

Gaius looked at Merlin for a few moments before pouring another goblet of wine. This time, Merlin simply held the goblet clasped in his fingers and waited for Gaius to offer words of comfort.

"Just when I think you couldn't possibly do anything more... outrageous than anything else you've ever done, you go and do this," Gaius commented, and Merlin visibly winced at the words. Gaius took a breath and looked at Merlin, like a parent would at a child who had just confessed to eating a sweet before dinner. "I understand that Owen had you in an awkward moment, in front of the three of them, but Merlin, lying to Arthur? It will come back to haunt you."

"But I've been lying to Arthur from the start..."

"No, you haven't. Until now, Arthur has never looked you in the face and asked you directly whether or not you have magical abilities. Until now, you have never mentioned what he has never asked of you, but now... Now you risk everything because you've lied. Imagine what will happen when Uther finds out!"

Merlin shivered at the mental image of being tied to a stake and then Arthur lighting the pyre below him. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting Gaius's words sink in. The old physician was right of course. If Merlin looked at the intricate technicalities, he had never really lied to Arthur because the man had never actually asked him about magic. _Yet I still feel as though I've lied to him from the start._ Yet another fear, greater than lying to Arthur, brewed within Merlin.

Merlin opened his eyes and looked up at the man sitting across from him. "Morgana came to see Arthur and me today, about a dream where she saw Camelot burnt to the ground. She said that she saw snake demons, obeying a woman called Elizabeth and her two brothers. The same snake demons that attacked today." Merlin took a breath. "I went to see the Great Dragon, a day or so before Morgana came to us, and he told me that something evil was marching on Camelot."

"And you believe that the two events are connected?"

Merlin looked at Gaius gravely, his expression telling the physician better than words could. "The Great Dragon was nervous, Gaius, scared even. What could possibly have him so worried about events if they don't stand a real chance of coming true? And then there are the snake demons, which Morgana described perfectly and moments later they were in the courtyard attacking and killing the knights."

"So what are you going to do, Merlin?" Gaius asked, and Merlin stood up, rubbing his face.

"I need to see the Great Dragon again; I need him to tell me what I need to know."

With that, Merlin walked out of the room.

Within the bowels of the underground caverns, the Great Dragon sat perched on a craggy piece of rock, staring down at the opening to his prison. He could feel the young warlock moving towards him, the power within the small body growing each day now that a connection with Arthur had been made. Arthur, a man upon whom so much rested, yet it was Merlin whom the Great Dragon needed to guide, to nurture. It was Merlin's abilities with his magic that made it necessary for the Great Dragon to keep pushing the young man, a little bit further each time. Merlin had truly developed in his magical abilities since coming to Camelot, and he showed great promise, could truly become one of the greatest warlocks to ever live. _One,_ the Great Dragon thought, _so great that he could bend the fabric of time and change things that had gone wrong. _Yet an unsettled feeling settled in his stomach. With the connection he felt now between Merlin and Arthur, the Great Dragon was unsure of what would come. Things would be different, unpredictable, now that Merlin's magic was now bound to Arthur's hidden magic.

With a stretch of his great wings, the chain holding the great beast rattled and clanked as he swooped down to sit atop his perch in front of the entrance to the cavern. The soft pitter patter of footsteps drifted to his ears, and the Great Dragon watched silently as Merlin came to a stop in front of him, torch in hand, illuminating the pale face.

"I know why you are here, Merlin," the Great Dragon spoke and watched in quiet amusement as Merlin shifted from foot to foot. "I know of the attack today. I felt the evil there."

"Then you know what I want to know," Merlin replied and the Great Dragon nodded minutely. He watched Merlin stare at him before he added, "Well? How do I stop what you and Morgana see from happening?"

"The question is not about how you stop it. Rather, it's what you can do to lessen the effects," the Great Dragon answered cryptically, and although he wished he could give Merlin simple answers, there were times when Merlin needed to work out the solutions on his own.

"You mean that no matter what I do, what Morgana dreamt will still come to pass? That Camelot will fall?"

The Great Dragon could see the fear and dread suffuse Merlin's face, as well as anger and confusion. _Ah, to be human. Wanting so many answers but afraid of them when they're given._

"Camelot will fall, Merlin, make no mistake about that. The signs now are too great to ignore." The Great Dragon spread his leathery wings, flapped them momentarily before sitting still. He could see that Merlin wanted something to hope for and thought briefly about what he could say next. "There are signs, however, that say that Camelot will be rebuilt, that a great and wise king will lead the city into new prosperity. Yet whether these signs will come and pass is beyond my ken, young warlock."

"So Arthur won't die?" The Great Dragon could hear desperation and hope in Merlin's voice and found himself stuck. _Do I give him false hope, or no hope at all?_

"Arthur plays an important part, Merlin, too important a part for him to simply be discarded as a victim of fate," came the answer, and a flicker of relief washed across the young man's face. "You need to ready him, young warlock, because the only way you will defeat these warlocks is with him by your side. So go, go to him tonight and tell him the truth. Tell him of what will happen and make sure that he remains by your side."

Nodding quickly, Merlin offered a weak smile and disappeared up the stairs.

The Great Dragon sighed, folded his front legs in front of him, and rested his head upon them. A great unease settled in the pit of his body, heavy and foreboding, as he thought of what was to come. He had given Merlin a glimmer of hope, but he had kept back the information that he knew would change the course events. The outcome at the moment wasn't as bad as what Merlin thought, although blood would be shed and people would die. However, if Merlin knew what the Great Dragon knew, then the outcome could be completely different. As the young warlock walked further away from him, the unease that the dragon felt only grew heavier.

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**Please read and review!**

**x o x o**


	12. Forced To Reveal

**A/N:**

A HUGE thank you to Cori, for being such a great and dedicated beta reader! Without her and her constant input, this last part to The Climb would never have been finished!

A great big MASSIVE thanks to the readers who keep reading and reviewing! I'm really happy that you love the story so much to let me know what you think, and I hope I haven't disappointed!

Now for a few warnings - the violence in this chapter, although tastefully written (even if I do say so myself) may offend, so please, remember this as you read because you now have advanced warnings! Another warning is that there is an implied character death in the story, so for all of you who wish it doesn't happen, it does! So no burning torches and pitch forks coming to my door! There's also some relatively hot M/M action, so if same-sex couples don't interest you, it's your choice to carry on reading!

So, here's the last installment for The Climb, and I hope you enjoy!

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**FORCED TO REVEAL**

Owen stared up at the great expanse of white wall, jaw set and eyes burning with hatred. The guards who walked across between archer posts looked down at him, and Owen could swear that he heard them laughing. Sir Galahad had left him here, under their watchful eyes, as he went to secure a cart and driver to transport Owen far, far away. No doubt rumours about his being cast out of Camelot had already spread like wildfire. _Blasted Uther,_ Owen cursed. _He would have believed me if Arthur hadn't gotten all sentimental._ Yet he knew he shouldn't blame Uther, not when Arthur stupidly accepted that blatant lie Merlin had told. Owen let out a small laugh then, causing the guards above to slow their pacing momentarily. Merlin. Merlin, the little snake in the grass that seemed to ruin all of his plans, especially when Owen had been telling the truth. Owen's mind drifted to why he had been willing to risk his life so that Merlin would be killed. _Elizabeth._ Just thinking of the beautiful temptress sent shivers of fear down Owen's spine, as well as shivers of anticipation for what she could offer him.

There was something about Elizabeth that caused Owen to suddenly feel very sick in the pit of his stomach. Seeing a large rock beside the path led down into the surrounding forest, Owen sat down upon it, feeling as though he were going to faint. Running a hand through his fiery red hair, Owen bent over and breathed deeply. Fear began to ebb through Owen's body, starting from his stomach and spiralling outwards. He had told Elizabeth that he would make sure that people watched Merlin use magic, so that his claim was backed up by others. And what had happened? In the middle of the fighting, he had been the only one to witness Merlin magically throw the spear that killed the serpent. _What will she do to me?_

"Nothing, Owen. Not when you can still redeem yourself."

Looking up suddenly, Owen felt the blood drain away from his face as the ever elegant Elizabeth walked out from the shadows, flanked by two of the snake demons from earlier. She was beautiful as she stood in front of him, the light from the moon playing across her features. Elizabeth was dressed in soft brown leather breeches, with knee-high riding boots polished brightly. A bodice made from melting black silk clearly defined her perfect structure, breasts near enough exposed to be considered indecent. From her neck hung the silver pendant of a snake, with the tip of the snake's tail disappearing between her breasts. Allowing his gaze to filter upwards, he was startled to see that Elizabeth's hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail, held together by a piece of blood red fabric. Her brown eyes, once warm during their encounter in _The Cloaked Woman_, were now icy cold. A line of sweat suddenly appeared across Owen's brow.

"Elizabeth, I can explain..."

As Owen stood up, the two snake demons lunged forward, hissing and deploying their large fangs threateningly. Jumping back and stumbling over the rock, Owen fell, landing with a thud. Elizabeth tutted quietly as she stared at the snakes, almost affectionately, before moving to stand in front of them, becoming a human barrier between Owen and the demons.

"You seem to make an awful lot of mistakes, Owen," Elizabeth stated and motioned for her guards to slither to the wall. The demons did as commanded. "First, you go back on your word to have Merlin revealed as a sorcerer, and now you made my guards think you were trying to do me harm. You have caused me a great dishonour, Owen, because now my plans need to be hastened and bloodied for them to continue."

"Please, I beg of you, spare my life..."

Elizabeth laughed then, and Owen felt icy chills travel down his back.

"You have nothing to fear, Owen. You are more use to me alive." Elizabeth looked around then, almost as though expecting someone to be hiding in the shadows. "Afterwards, however, I may kill you if you don't do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

Owen nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Gracefully, Elizabeth sat down on the rock and leaned forward, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper.

"We will make our way through the castle to Uther's chambers. Anyone who gets in our way along the way will be silenced, permanently. Once we get to Uther's chambers, you and you alone will go in with this knife." Elizabeth paused to show Owen the knife. It was a long blade, made of silver, with a simple hilt etched with a snake. "You will go to Uther's bed, and you will slit his throat, Owen, and you will wait beside him until he is dead."

Owen couldn't believe what he was hearing, but before he could speak a word, Elizabeth added, "If you fail in any of these details, you will die immediately. Now come, do not make a sound."

Owen nodded slowly. Elizabeth stood up, handed the knife to Owen and walked over to the wall. Owen quickly got up, dusted himself off and crept as quietly as he could to the wall. Once there, he tried to avoid the snake demons. Elizabeth raised her hands, eyes closed and lips moving silently. A ball of red, crackling light formed between her hands, and bringing it closer to her, Elizabeth whispered something before throwing it up into the air. Owen looked upwards, and before he could fully see what was happening, the archers and guards dropped to the ground. Their bodies looked as though they had been flailed, pieces of flesh hanging off in bloody strips, whilst their arms and legs stuck out at unearthly angles. The snake demons lunged suddenly for the fresh kills, and within a matter of minutes, all four bodies were devoured, nothing left behind. The demons returned to their positions whilst Elizabeth turned around to touch the wall that was now unguarded. From her hands, alternating slabs of stone began to push themselves away from the wall, becoming a stone ladder that she began to climb. Pausing for a brief moment, Elizabeth looked down.

"Come along, Owen. Your destiny awaits."

Taking a deep breath, Owen began to climb the side of the wall, whilst the snake demons slithered up the wall silently. As Owen heaved himself over the wall, Sir Galahad returned with the cart and driver.

Merlin walked quickly and quietly towards the chambers he now shared with Arthur, a spring in his step but the weight of the world on his shoulders. Although the Great Dragon had given him hope, Merlin knew that to keep Arthur from dying, to stop Morgana's dream coming true, he would have to break the very promise that he had made only an hour before. A knot of fear crept into Merlin's stomach and he slowed his walk, suddenly thinking that maybe telling Arthur everything was a good idea. Yet his mind drifted to what the Great Dragon had said - _You need to ready him, young warlock, because the only way you will defeat these warlocks is with him by your side. _Merlin prayed that the Great Dragon knew what he was telling Merlin to do, because it could backfire extremely badly. _No, stop that, _his inner voice demanded. _Arthur loves you, he wouldn't harm you because you kept a secret. If anything, he'll take you into his arms and make you forget you ever worried._ Realising that he was at their chamber door, Merlin took a breath and walked inside.

The moment he stepped within the room, Merlin's breath hitched in his throat. There, standing by the window, was the handsomest man that Merlin had ever met. Arthur was dressed in his finest clothes and stared out into the night sky, left fist clenched as his body rested against the wall. Merlin stepped further into the room and found his breeches tightening with every step. _It seems like it's been weeks since we last made love, _Merlin thought. _But it's only been a day or two at the most. Gods, if only you knew what you do to me, Arthur. _He swallowed loudly as Arthur turned to face him then, a white aura surrounding the young prince as he smiled warmly at Merlin. Merlin found the smile infectious, and he smiled back, his heart and shoulders feeling lighter as he stared at the man before him. It was in that moment that Merlin felt he could tell Arthur anything and not have to worry about Arthur hating him.

"Merlin..."

"Arthur..."

They both chuckled as they both spoke at the same time. Merlin looked down with a smile on his face before looking back up at Arthur, their blue eyes shining brightly.

"Go on, Arthur. You can start."

Merlin watched as Arthur walked to his side. He felt a strong hand take his slender one, Arthur's left fist still clenched as Merlin was guided to the bed. Sitting down, Merlin looked up at Arthur.

"I'm not really good at this, Merlin. The whole talking about my feelings that you seem to be able to do so well. I have things that I want to say to you, but I'm not quite sure how to," Arthur began and Merlin smiled at him, offering encouragement. "The last week... it's been unforgettable, and I wish from the bottom of my heart that it had happened sooner. I've never felt this deeply connected with anyone."

Arthur sat down on the bed beside him, left fist still clenched. Merlin raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering what the prince held in his hand. Arthur took Merlin's hand in his right, and from the intensity beneath the stare, Merlin momentarily thought about jumping Arthur there and then.

"It's like I can tell what you're thinking just by looking at you, what you're feeling. I even get feelings about where you are in the castle, even if you've not told me where you are. It's strange, but it's nice to know I'm in love with you that much. When Owen accused you of having magic tonight... I realised two things," Arthur continued, and Merlin suddenly blurted out—

"Arthur, I can explain. I didn't mean to lie..."

Arthur laughed, and Merlin felt himself on edge. _He knows. _Icy tendrils of fear weaved around his heart. _Oh gods, he knows._

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Arthur smirked. "I realised that you've enchanted me, Merlin, more than anything ever could. When I'm away from you, it feels like I'm not really myself, like I'm living a lie. Yet when we're together... you weave your magic on me and remind me again why I'm with you."

Merlin opened his mouth but a quick kiss silenced him.

"And I realised that I can't live without you, Merlin. I know that people will expect me to have a child, a wife, the things a future king should have. But now, right at this moment in time, I don't care if I never have a child or wife," Arthur continued.

Merlin couldn't believe his ears. Had he heard Arthur rightly? _He'll never want a child or wife?_ Merlin instantly corrected that thought, _He said 'at this moment in time', big difference. But he's happy just being with me? I wonder if he'll feel the same way once I've come clean?_ Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, Merlin spoke up.

"Arthur, I need to tell you something. Something really, really important..."

Arthur smiled at Merlin and dropped to the floor in front of the tall brunette, on one knee. Merlin's heart beat accelerated at that moment and he could see his electric blue aura twisting and wrapping itself around Arthur's white. Merlin watched as Arthur unclenched his fist and held the object up for Merlin to see. A small wooden box stared up at Merlin, and his hands shook as he picked it up. Looking at Arthur, Merlin tried to speak again.

"Hush, Merlin. I'm sure that whatever it is that you want to talk to me about can wait. Open the box."

Swallowing, Merlin gingerly opened the lid, scared of what was inside. There, nestled in some shreds of silk, was a silver ring band, attached to a leather thong. Merlin's eyes quickly flicked to Arthur, who remained on his knee, smiling up at him. Merlin shakily lifted the ring up and looked at it from all angles. It was made of silver, and knowing Arthur like he did, Merlin knew that it would be made of the purest of silvers available. Inlaid into the precious metal were two gems, a deep blue and milky white pair. Merlin felt his mouth go dry and he looked up at Arthur, who now had a worried expression on his face.

"Will you be mine, Merlin?" Arthur asked quietly, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Before Merlin's thoughts could catch up with his impulsiveness, Merlin propelled himself off of the bed, sending Arthur sprawling across the floor.

Owen quickly walked across the wooden boards at the top of the wall, Elizabeth and the demons silently following him. Although they made no sound, Owen could feel their eyes on his back, and he fought to keep the bile down in his stomach. It was 300 paces until they would reach the large archway, the one that had stone stairs leading down to the level where Uther slept. Fear grasped at Owen as he suddenly realised that each step he took brought him closer to what Elizabeth wanted him to do. _I have to kill Uther, _Owen thought. _Just another 200 paces and we'll be making our way down to him._ They neared a new archers' tower, and Owen managed to hold back a squeak as the snake demons surged forward, straight towards the tower. Owen watched as the beasts stealthily slid up the wooden posts, and before the archers could do anything, Owen heard the crunching of bones as the demons ate their live prey. He squeezed his eyes shut, because in the moonlight, he could clearly see the blood running from the innocent men that got in their way. A sharp prod in his side made Owen open his eyes, and he saw Elizabeth walk on ahead. Not wanting to be left behind with the demons, Owen quickly strode after Elizabeth, who had just finished incinerating the next two archers. The smell of burnt flesh exploded into Owen's nostrils as he walked quickly past the tower. _Just 100 more paces, and we'll be inside._ The thought became a mantra to Owen that he said to himself every time he took a pace. The snake demons slithered ahead and disappeared into the archway.

Elizabeth walked by his side, and Owen risked a glance at her. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and she seemed completely oblivious to the eight murders that had happened within the space of a few minutes. _I'm going to Hell,_ Owen realised, and he suddenly felt like crying. _All I wanted was to get back at Merlin for leaving me for Arthur. _As though the woman could sense his thoughts, Elizabeth touched his arm, and Owen suddenly found it hard to remember why he had the feeling of unease in his stomach. He felt sudden rage as thoughts of Uther dismissing his claims filtered through his consciousness, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on the king. The two of them walked under the archway and made their way down the stone stairs. As they descended, Owen could hear muffled sounds and then silence.

Upon reaching the level where Uther's chambers were, Owen saw the snake demons wrapped around two unfortunate men who were one of the two pairs of guards patrolling this particular area. Their feet and hands were shaking, whilst their heads were stuffed inside the demons mouths. Owen watched in morbid fascination until the feet and hands stopped twitching, his eyes wide and mouth dry. The demons released their prey, and their long, pink tongues flicked out into the air for a few moments whilst small fire balls cremated the two bodies. A strong gust of wind suddenly blew, and the torches flickered in the corridor and the ashes dispersed. Owen felt a cool, metal object get pushed into his hands, and upon looking down, saw that it was the same knife that Elizabeth had handled earlier. Flexing his grip on the hilt, Owen turned left and walked down the stone corridor with murderous intent in his eyes.

After a moment, Owen spotted the last of the two patrolling guards walking towards him. The pair slowed, and Owen guessed that they had spotted Elizabeth, which gave him an opportunity to get the knife positioned against the back of his arm. As he walked past them, Owen spun around and, using all of his considerable strength, thrust the knife into the neck of one of the guards. Blood spurted outwards from the man's mouth, and the second man tried to scream out for help as he attempted to draw out his sword. Seeing what was happening, Owen quickly thrust the dying man away from him and grabbed hold of the second man's neck, squeezing down hard on his windpipe. He lifted the man up against the wall so that the weight of his body worked against the now thrashing man, eyes wide and face a bright red as he tried to fight off Owen's grip. From the corner of his eye, Owen could see Elizabeth smiling, and the snake demons dove for the fresh kill, licking up at the crimson blood. Returning his attention to the man in his hands, Owen noticed that the thrashing had stopped and now a glazed look covered the man's eyes. Owen suddenly stepped back, as though he had only now realised what he had just done. At the feel of a hand on his shoulder, Owen looked down and saw Elizabeth smiling, as though proud at what he had done.

With a small nod, Owen and Elizabeth continued down the corridor, moments away from Uther's chambers.

Arthur was on the floor in front of the fire with Merlin hugging him tightly, their bodies pressed firmly together. With a slight wriggle that allowed Arthur to embrace Merlin more fully, Arthur bit back a moan of pleasure at the feel of their hard members rubbing against each other through clothing. Instead, he buried his face into the crook of Merlin's neck and kissed that soft patch of skin gently, enjoying the sweaty taste that touched his lips. _He's mine,_ Arthur thought gleefully. _I can't believe that he's all mine!_ Arthur suddenly looked at Merlin worriedly as the slender man pulled away, blue eyes searching for unknown answers to unspoken questions. Slowly, Merlin raised his hands over his head and pulled the leather thong over his head, silver ring shining brightly in the candlelight. Arthur watched as it fell against Merlin's chest, and the worries that had been etched onto his face began to fade away. _I shouldn't have doubted, _Arthur chided himself. _Not with Merlin._

"I'm never going to take this off," Merlin whispered, and Arthur smiled as he lifted up his hand to stroke Merlin's cheek. "No matter what happens, this is never coming off."

Merlin pushed his face into Arthur's palm and pressed a warm kiss there, his blue eyes gazing into Arthur's. Arthur suddenly began to feel all tingly, with heat blossoming across his entire body as he looked back at Merlin. He felt his breeches become incredibly tight, tighter than at any other time he had been close to Merlin. For a split second, Arthur saw a gold flash appear in Merlin's eyes and just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared. Arthur placed his other hand on top of Merlin's bulging erection and rubbed gently. Merlin moaned and Arthur rubbed again.

"Coming to bed?" Arthur asked and was all but yanked up from the floor by Merlin, who then crushed their lips together in a searing kiss.

Arthur kissed back with equal ferocity. While his left hand went down to Merlin's buttocks and squeezed, his right hand went up to tangle in Merlin's short hair. He could feel himself being guided backwards, towards the huge bed that was their own. When the firm touch of the mattress pushed against his knees, Arthur reached back with his left hand and sat down slowly. As they lowered themselves onto the bed, Merlin straddled Arthur and ground himself against the prince. Merlin's lips began to burn a trail of heat across Arthur's face before reaching his ear. Arthur shuddered as he felt Merlin's lips press against his ear, and he squeezed Merlin's buttocks more firmly.

"Move up the bed, Arthur."

Needing little encouragement other than the deep, husky voice that had just whispered in his ear, Arthur obediently got himself to the top of the bed. He propped himself up with his pillows and watched in anticipation as Merlin pulled his tunic over his head, allowing the ring to fall against his pale skin. Arthur bit his bottom lip as he watched Merlin strip off his breeches and undergarments, his own breeches becoming incredibly tight at the show. Arthur swallowed loudly as Merlin crawled up the bed and pounced on top of Arthur, pinning the stronger man down.

In the pit of Arthur's stomach, in the depths of his soul, Arthur felt completely and utterly safe and secure with the feel of Merlin above him. He looked into Merlin's eyes and felt an inner calm, unlike anything he had ever felt as he stroked Merlin's cheek. _This is all that matters, _Arthur found himself thinking. _Nothing else. _At that moment, Arthur knew exactly what he wanted to happen between them.

"Make love to me, Merlin," Arthur whispered. He saw Merlin's eyes widen at that statement before a small smile fell across his lips. "Please..."

Anything else that Arthur was going to say was lost because Merlin captured his lips, stealing his breath as well as his heart. Arthur felt a slender leg nestle itself in between his own legs and slowly, bit by bit, Merlin spread open Arthur's legs with his own. Arthur ran his nails over Merlin's back, scratching gently, and Merlin moaned into their kiss. A pout quickly formed on Arthur's lips as Merlin pulled away, but it disappeared when Merlin pushed his tunic up and pressed his lips against Arthur's skin. Closing his eyes and relaxing into the touch, Arthur felt Merlin kiss a feather light trail upwards, nipping occasionally here and there. Arthur bit his lower lip again as Merlin's mouth closed around a nipple, an experimental tongue seeking Arthur's appreciation at the stimulation. With the moan that escaped his lips, Arthur felt his breeches being undone, and he raised his hips upwards in an attempt to help. Yet Merlin pushed his hips downwards, and Arthur grumbled in frustration, his hardened member straining to be released from its tight confines.

"Be patient," Merlin chided, and as Arthur opened his mouth to respond, Merlin quickly pulled Arthur's tunic over his head and flipped Arthur onto his stomach.

"What are you doing?"

Arthur looked to the left and saw Merlin standing beside the large cupboard beside their bed, rummaging inside for something. He heard a triumphant gasp and then the gentle clink of the bottles that they kept in the back of the cupboard for moments like this. Merlin looked over at Arthur with a devilish grin that promised many things. Arthur licked his lips, closed his eyes and felt the bed dip as Merlin climbed back on and straddled Arthur.

"What are you doing?" Arthur repeated.

Arthur realised he wasn't going to get a reply, and he opened his mouth to say something when a cool liquid pooled into the middle of his back, making him gasp. The scent of sandalwood permeated the air as the long, slender fingers that Arthur adored began to rub the oil all over his back. _So this is what he wanted to do?_ Arthur quickly breathed in sharply as Merlin's hot breath blew right between his shoulder blades, before a slender finger drew circles with the faintest of touches. Arthur ground his hips into the mattress as Merlin began to move downwards, searching for the precious thing that Arthur would give him in a short while.

Owen was standing in front of the doors to Uther's chambers, Elizabeth to his side and the demons slithering away to keep guard. The large doors were made of solid oak, sanded and varnished to a bright sheen. A large dragon was spread across both sides of the door, the emblem for the Pendragon name that meant so much to the people of Camelot. Large, black handles hung from the claws of the dragon. _I've walked past this room so many times, _Owen thought. _Now I'm going to get to go inside._ The blade of the knife that he held in his hand dripped with fresh blood from an unexpected maid that had been on the level in between patrol groups. Elizabeth touched his arm, and he looked down at her. She was now wearing a snow white dress with her hair tightly curled. He hadn't realised that she had changed her appearance.

"Go inside now, Owen. Kill the king. Make him suffer, Owen. I'll ensure that no noise escapes from within."

Owen looked back at the door and smiled coldly, flexing the knife in his hand. Stepping towards the door, Owen quietly turned the handle and pushed it open. A wave of warm air quickly enveloped him as he closed the door behind him. For a moment, Owen had to stop to take in his surroundings. The large room was superbly decorated, with a large rug made of the finest threads that Uther's money could buy. A large wooden chest, a gift from a neighbouring kingdom, stood against the far wall, and Owen wondered what was inside it. His eyes took in the other items from paintings to pieces of furniture, until they rested on the reason he was in here. Uther, looking angelic in his sleep, laid on his bed, completely oblivious to what would happen.

Owen began to walk quietly towards the enormous bed, taking great care not to tread too heavily on the floor boards. A sinister smile crawled across his face as he edged ever nearer to Uther. Just then, Uther turned in his sleep, rolling onto his side so that the light from the open window illuminated his face. Owen paused, holding the blade up to his face and looking at the congealed blood that stained its blade. Noticing that Uther had settled back into sleep, Owen walked the last few steps until he stood by the pillow where Uther's head rested. Owen slowly reached out with his left hand, just as he put the blade up against Uther's throat. The king's eyes opened instantly at the feel of the cool blade, and he stared up at Owen.

"You and I have some unfinished business." Owen stated and smiled grimly.

From outside the room, Elizabeth smiled as her plans came together.

Merlin's body was flushed with colour as he fell down onto the mattress, Arthur quickly following suit. Their limbs tangled on the bed amongst the now stained sheets, bodies heaving with deep breaths. Merlin's body tingled, and he could feel another huge swell in his magic, the seventh now since Arthur had given himself to Merlin. When he looked over at Arthur, he could see a bright light coming from within the blonde's body, and Merlin knew in his soul that it was because the magic within each of them called out to each other. With a smile on his face, Merlin kicked up the blanket and pulled it up over them, before pulling Arthur closer to him.

"That was..."

"Perfect, more than I could ever have..."

"Imagined."

They chuckled then, amused at how they had just finished each other's sentences. Merlin stared into the blue eyes and was momentarily caught off guard when he saw a flaring of gold within Arthur's eyes. The gold flare quickly passed, and Arthur stared at him in mild confusion, before Merlin quickly recovered.

"I didn't mean to stare. It's just... I never noticed how nice your eyes looked, this close up," Merlin explained, and Arthur smirked back at him.

"You find me sexy," Arthur stated, and Merlin felt a hand run up from his thigh to rest on a buttock.

"I find you intolerable and irresistible, all at once," Merlin clarified, earning a chuckle from Arthur. Merlin pulled away from him then as his thoughts drifted back to why he had come to their room in the first place. "Arthur, about the thing that I needed to talk to you about..."

"Can't it wait until morning?" Arthur asked. "All I want to do now is have you in my arms as we go to sleep."

Merlin looked at Arthur and felt his conscience wrestle with his desires. _Tell him right now, _Merlin's conscience cried,._Tell him now so that in the morning, you can start afresh. _Yet Merlin's desires cried out, _Tell him when the time comes, not before! Why spoil something so precious with something so sinister?_ As Merlin rolled onto his side, he pulled Arthur flush against the length of his body and held Arthur's hand tightly. A soft kiss was placed on his ear as Arthur relaxed completely. The heat from his muscled body began to have a soporific effect on Merlin, who felt his eyelids droop.

"I love you, Merlin."

"I love you..."

An almighty crashing sound broke Merlin's reply, and Merlin felt Arthur launch himself up from the bed instantly. Merlin sat up and saw Owen standing in the doorway with three other men, all large and burly like their leader. Hurriedly grabbing his undergarment, Merlin pulled it on just as Arthur began to call for his guards, pulling on his breeches, jaw set angrily at the intrusion. Owen stepped into the room, and it was only then that Merlin saw the knife in his hand, dripping with blood. Merlin was by Arthur's side in an instant, slender hand gripping Arthur's forearm tightly. Fear gripped Merlin as he realised that something was seriously wrong, because the guards that were normally patrolling would have been here in an instant after the doors smashing open.

"Get out of my chambers," Arthur growled out and stepped closer to Owen. Merlin tightened his grip even more, pulling back to keep Arthur out of the way.

"Arthur..."

"Or what, little prince? You'll scream like a woman for your guards?" Owen taunted and more fear wrapped its way around Merlin's heart. Owen held up the knife to Arthur, showing him the bloodied blade.

"When my father hears of this..."

Owen chuckled darkly. "Your words will fall on deaf ears, Arthur. Your father isn't here to come to your rescue."

Merlin felt Arthur's entire body begin to tense up, and the three men fanned themselves out, trying to enclose the two of them in a tight circle. Just below the surface, Merlin could feel his magic bubbling, and his anger rising as the situation continued to escalate.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, not trusting Arthur to say anything that wouldn't cause more bloodshed.

"I mean exactly what I said. Uther will not hear Arthur's screams for help, nor will he see me kill his son."

At the end of the statement, the three large, burly men dove for the two of them. Merlin was shoved unceremoniously into the bed by Arthur, who tackled one of the men to the floor and proceeded to rain a shower of blows onto his face. Merlin instantly went to Arthur's aid, grabbing a vase from the table by the window and smashing it over the attacker's head. Almost as quickly, the remaining man grabbed hold of Merlin and pulled him backwards, sending shooting pain up Merlin's arms and back. Owen walked straight over to Arthur and grabbed hold of the prince by his hair, Arthur still trying to fight off the flame haired giant. Arthur managed to get a few good blows in, hard enough to make Owen start bleeding. Dragging Arthur by the hair, Owen stopped when they reached the shattered doors and pulled the prince upright, pressing the knife against Arthur's neck. Merlin was suddenly released, and the three men went to stand by Owen's side. Arthur went still as the blade dug into his flesh. Merlin looked like a startled deer, eyes wide and mouth ajar.

Owen couldn't believe how well this was going. For the last few hours, Owen had fulfilled the task that Elizabeth had set him, and if Elizabeth's reaction was any indication, he had done well. Images flashed through Owen's mind as he held Arthur in his arms. Uther with a bloody mouth; Uther with his night clothes in bloody tatters; Uther with a probable broken arm and fractured wrist; Uther begging for his life... That was the image that Owen favoured most, the one where before Owen slit his throat like a lamb to slaughter. Uther had been on his knees begging for his life as well as Arthur's. _Stupid man,_ Owen thought now and pushed the tip of the blade into Arthur's neck, causing a bloody rivulet to slide down his captive's chest. He glanced over at Merlin, who looked as though he were torn between running for help or staying where he was. With his eyes still locked on Merlin, Owen placed a slow kiss on Arthur's neck, causing the young man to squirm away from the touch. The knife dug deeper into the flesh.

"Your father screamed, Arthur," Owen whispered in his ear and smiled as the squirming stopped. "He begged me not to kill him, to let him live. He even begged me not to kill you, which I found amusing until I found that slitting his throat was even greater entertainment."

Small shakes began to rock Arthur's body, and Owen was impressed that Arthur tried his best to keep them in check, not wanting to appear weak. _An arrogant prat until the end, aren't you Arthur?_

"You're lying..."

"Am I?" Owen asked. "Then why do I have his bloody ring in my pocket? The one that only the King of Camelot wears? Take it out from my pocket and see."

Owen stood perfectly still as Arthur, with a shaky hand, put his hand backwards and felt for the pocket that supposedly housed Uther's ring.

Arthur's blood ran cold in his veins as the words sank in. _It can't be, _Arthur reasoned as best he could. _There's no way that Owen would have been able to get to him._ Yet his thoughts weren't enough to quell his fears as his hand slid onto Owen's thigh, a grimace across Arthur's face as he felt the other man's leg in a quest for the pocket. Arthur's eyes looked at Merlin, who looked so lost and confused. As he continued to look at Merlin, Arthur's fingers slipped upwards until they found the opening to the pocket. Trying to manoeuvre his fingers into the opening, Arthur became aware of the blade digging into his neck even more. The tips of his fingers touched something smooth and cool, with something sticky covering it. Slipping the tip of his index finger through the object, Arthur pulled it out and held it up to his eyes.

His hand trembled as he looked at the gold ring, covered in drying blood. Raising his other hand, Arthur rubbed off the blood as best he could to reveal what lay beneath the surface. In the middle of the ring was a square area about the size of a thumbnail, with a delicately etched dragon, now gory with blood. _No... please, no..._ Arthur hastily wiped the blood-stained ring on his breeches and brought the ring back up to his face, beginning to feel violently sick. There, now cleaned so that there could be no doubt, was the Pendragon insignia. Arthur looked across at Merlin and tears began to spill over his cheeks. _My father's dead._

_No, this can't be happening. _Merlin's mind was working overtime as he tried to comprehend the situation. Owen was standing by the splintered doors with Arthur in his possession, knife to the young prince's neck. Arthur was crying silently, eyes telling him things more than words ever could. _Uther's dead,_ Merlin knew. _The end of Camelot is near and there's nothing I can do to stop it._ The three henchmen that belonged to Owen murmured something and then disappeared out of the door, leaving the three men alone. Merlin thought about rushing Owen, in the hopes that Arthur would be able to physically fight off the man while he tried to help as best he could. Yet Merlin feared doing this, because that knife was so dangerously close to the neck of the man that he loved. _When the guards come, and they take Owen away, I'll see to it that he's never seen from again!_

"Why?" Arthur croaked, his voice strained as Merlin edged slightly closer.

Owen laughed. "You know why, you prat. But don't worry, you'll be joining him in a few moments."

"Owen, don't. Please, I beg you," Merlin pleaded, although the sound of his own voice pleading with this monster made Merlin feel violently sick. "I'll do anything you want. Take me in Arthur's place, just don't hurt him."

Again, Owen laughed as Merlin watched him trace the tip of the knife down Arthur's torso. "So now you want me, Merlin? You should have thought about that before you rejected me. Now, it's too late."

"It doesn't have to be like this," Merlin pleaded again, and he battled with the magic that bubbled below the surface that wanted to burn the man right there on the spot.

"Oh, but it does. If only you had told Arthur the truth, Merlin. If only you hadn't lied."

Owen ran the tip of the blade back up to Arthur's heart and dug it in, causing fresh bloody rivulets to flow down the otherwise unmarked skin. Merlin edged even closer and Owen laughed as he dug the knife in deeper, causing Arthur to cry out sharply. Owen tutted loudly and turned Arthur's head savagely to the side before laying a bruising kiss on the his lips. Merlin could feel his magic burning to be set free, to rid this kingdom of the filth that dared to touch his lover. Owen released Arthur's mouth and stared back at Merlin as Arthur's head was turned back to face him, knife now aimed at Arthur's heart.

"What do you mean? What did Merlin lie about?"

"That's something you'll never know, Arthur."

With that, Owen raised the knife upwards and brought it down towards Arthur's heart. Everything seemed to go in slow motion then, because Merlin raised his hand and a bright blue glow came from his hand. He could see Arthur's eyes widen in a mixture of emotions, but Merlin couldn't stop now, not if the end result would be Arthur's death.

"Serpenat'is rehars!"

The blue glow shot out from Merlin's hand and time sped back up, just as the glow ploughed into Owen and sent him careening backwards. Arthur, however, kept his eyes on Merlin as the secret that had remained hidden for so long burned in the air between them.

To be continued!

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